Intranasal administration of diazepam aiming at the treatment of acute seizures: clinical trials in healthy volunteers

Abstract

Intranasal administration of diazepam may be a practical alternative to the conventional acute medication of seizures, such as status epilepticus. Nine healthy students participated in an open crossover study on intranasal versus intravenous administration of diazepam (2 mg). Blood samples were collected, pharmacodynamic tests were performed, and the volunteers filled out questionnaire. Peak concentration was achieved after 18+/-11 min and the bioavailability was 50.4+/-23.3%. A pharmacodynamic effect was observed after about 5 min, but the dose, even for i.v. administration, was too low to generate a strong measurable effect. The results indicate that intranasally administered diazepam may be an effective alternative to i.v. administration in relief of seizures, e.g. in an acute situation when a physician or nurse is not available on location.