Trial reportNeurocritical care2011
A randomized trial for the treatment of refractory status epilepticus.
Trial report in Neurocritical care, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT00265616 (A Randomized Clinical Trial for the Treatment of Refractory Status Epilepticus), which is not on this map. Cited by 77 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Randomized Clinical Trial for the Treatment of Refractory Status Epilepticus
Who cites it
77 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 227 citations in OpenAlex.
- Surgical Interventions for Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus: A Systematic Review.Neurocritical care · 2026Pooled it
- Ketamine use in the refractory and super refractory status epilepticus: a systematic review.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of propofol versus barbiturates for controlling refractory status epilepticus.BMC neurology · 2019Pooled it
- Propofol versus thiopental sodium for the treatment of refractory status epilepticus.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Anticonvulsant therapy for status epilepticus.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2014Pooled it
- Recommendations on the use of EEG monitoring in critically ill patients: consensus statement from the neurointensive care section of the ESICM.Intensive care medicine · 2013Guideline
- Guidelines for the evaluation and management of status epilepticus.Neurocritical care · 2012Guideline
- Valproic acid as adjuvant treatment for convulsive status epilepticus: a randomised clinical trial.Critical care (London, England) · 2023Trial
- Variability in pharmacologically-induced coma for treatment of refractory status epilepticus.PloS one · 2018Trial
- Brexanolone as adjunctive therapy in super-refractory status epilepticus.Annals of neurology · 2017Trial
- Assessment of therapeutic management practices in generalized and focal motor status epilepticus: An international survey in French, Belgian, and Swiss intensive care units.Journal of intensive medicine · 2026Article
- Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus Diagnosis, Management, and Prognostication: An International Survey Study.Neurology. Clinical practice · 2025Article
- Status epilepticus in older adults: A critical review.Epilepsia · 2025Review
- Ketamine reduces seizure and interictal continuum activity in refractory status epilepticus: a multicenter in-person and teleneurocritical care study.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2024Article
- Use of ketamine in Super Refractory Status Epilepticus: a systematic review.Neurological research and practice · 2024Review
- The Origin of the Burst-Suppression Paradigm in Treatment of Status Epilepticus.Neurocritical care · 2024Article
- Burst Suppression as a Treatment Goal in Refractory Status Epilepticus.Neurocritical care · 2024Article
- Sustained effort network for treatment of status epilepticus/European academy of neurology registry on adult refractory status epilepticus (SENSE-II/AROUSE).BMC neurology · 2024Article
- Super-refractory status epilepticus in a woman withFrontiers in medicine · 2024Article
- Comparison of induction agents for rapid sequence intubation in refractory status epilepticus: A single-center retrospective analysis.Epilepsy & behavior reports · 2024Article
17 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRefractory status epilepticus (RSE) has a mortality of 16-39%; coma induction is advocated for its management, but no comparative study has been performed. We aimed to assess the effectiveness (RSE control, adverse events) of the first course of propofol versus barbiturates in the treatment of RSE.
methodsIn this randomized, single blind, multi-center trial studying adults with RSE not due to cerebral anoxia, medications were titrated toward EEG burst-suppression for 36-48 h and then progressively weaned. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with RSE controlled after a first course of study medication; secondary endpoints included tolerability measures.
resultsThe trial was terminated after 3 years, with only 24 patients recruited of the 150 needed; 14 subjects received propofol, 9 barbiturates. The primary endpoint was reached in 43% in the propofol versus 22% in the barbiturates arm (P = 0.40). Mortality (43 vs. 34%; P = 1.00) and return to baseline clinical conditions at 3 months (36 vs. 44%; P = 1.00) were similar. While infections and arterial hypotension did not differ between groups, barbiturate use was associated with a significantly longer mechanical ventilation (P = 0.03). A non-fatal propofol infusion syndrome was detected in one patient, while one subject died of bowel ischemia after barbiturates. DISCUSSION: Although undersampled, this trial shows significantly longer mechanical ventilation with barbiturates and the occurrence of severe treatment-related complications in both arms. We describe practical issues necessary for the success of future studies needed to improve the current unsatisfactory state of evidence.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.