ESETT Epilepsy Study
On behalf of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of Neurology we would like to share what we learned in the Established Status Epilepticus Treatment Trial (ESETT).
We are sharing results from the San Antonio area ESETT study, conducted between November 2015 and December 2018. ESETT was a research study designed to compare three commonly used medications used to treat refractory status epilepticus (long lasting seizures not stopping on their own).
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Institutional Review Board approved the study in accordance with FDA regulations for exception from informed consent for emergency research. Because this emergency research involved participants unable to give consent at the start, we consulted with community groups before the research study could begin.
Results published in the November 28, 2019 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine show that the three most common treatment options administered in the emergency department for patients who experience refractory status epilepticus: levetiracetam, fosphenytoin and valproate are equally safe and effective in adults. The results of ESETT validate the use of the three drugs and give emergency physicians options when it comes to treating patients with refractory status epilepticus. These study results demonstrate that doctors are ok choosing a treatment based on availability, as shortages of these drugs have been common in recent years, cost, ease of administration or other practical criteria.
To learn more about the ESETT trial results visit the ESETT study website www.esett.org
New England Journal of Medicine
https://nett.umich.edu/sites/default/files/docs/nejm-esett_primary.pdf
The Lancet
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673620306115