Editors' Note: Association of Guideline Publication and Delays to Treatment in Pediatric Status Epilepticus

Abstract

In “Association of guideline publication and delays to treatment in pediatric status epilepticus,” Fernandez et al. reported that despite publication of evidence of delays in treatment of refractory status epilepticus (SE) in the Pediatric Status Epilepticus Research Group (pSERG) at the end of 2014, there was no difference in time to initiation of benzodiazepines, nonbenzodiazepine antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and continuous infusions to patients with refractory SE in pSERG in the hospital between 2011–2014 and 2015–2019. The authors identified a number of proposed actions to overcome potential barriers to the timely initiation of AEDs. Albuja et al. commented that they improved the time to administration of second-line AEDs at their institution by creating a SE alert system to contact neurology, pharmacy, the rapid response team, and the bed manager simultaneously when an inpatient is suspected to be in SE. Amengual-Gual et al. applauded them for implementing this initiative. It is imperative to continue to identify quality improvement measures to identify SE and ensure that AEDs are given in a timely fashion to patients with SE because it becomes more resistant over time, which may lead to increased morbidity and mortality.[1][1],[2][2] In “Association of guideline publication and delays to treatment in pediatric status epilepticus,” Fernandez et al. reported that despite publication of evidence of delays in treatment of refractory status epilepticus (SE) in the Pediatric Status Epilepticus Research Group (pSERG) at the end of 2014, there was no difference in time to initiation of benzodiazepines, nonbenzodiazepine antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and continuous infusions to patients with refractory SE in pSERG in the hospital between 2011–2014 and 2015–2019. The authors identified a number of proposed actions to overcome potential barriers to the timely initiation of AEDs. Albuja et al. commented that they improved the time to administration of second-line AEDs at their institution by creating a SE alert system to contact neurology, pharmacy, the rapid response team, and the bed manager simultaneously when an inpatient is suspected to be in SE. Amengual-Gual et al. applauded them for implementing this initiative. It is imperative to continue to identify quality improvement measures to identify SE and ensure that AEDs are given in a timely fashion to patients with SE because it becomes more resistant over time, which may lead to increased morbidity and mortality.1,2 [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2