Theo, 12, walks in a park with his parents. Suddenly, his lips turn blue, he falls, trembles, begins to convulse … As this epileptic seizure continues, his mother takes out a syringe, pulls down her son’s pants, and administers the product in the region. anal. In a few minutes, the crisis is over, but the young teenager did not appreciate the gesture made in public! Until recently, there was only one form of medication that could be used urgently by parents to stop a prolonged epileptic seizure: Valium® (diazepam) which is therefore administered intravenously. rectal. The arrival of an alternative, the Buccolam® (midazolam), which is administered with a cannula between the gum and the cheek, therefore represents real progress for young patients and their families. President of the association Enfance épilepsie, Delphine Danneckert knows the subject well. Her daughter, Dana, has suffered from this disease since she was two and a half years old. “This new drug, which does not involve undressing the child, prevents them from feeling humiliated during a crisis in public. This is even more true for teenagers. “
Easy to use
In addition to these privacy problems, valium is complicated to use: it requires several operations, compared to only two for the new product, ”continues Delphine Danneckert. The latter is presented in the form of pre-filled syringes, depending on the age of the child. Enough to avoid dosing errors, even in a stressful context! It is administered after five minutes of seizure. Just insert the end of the syringe on the side of the mouth, between the gum and the cheek, and slowly deliver the product. It is then advisable to lay the child comfortably on his side or, if he is seated, to rest his head against you. In both cases, loosen his clothes, at the waist and collar, and do not try to prevent his convulsive movements. Stay with the child until the seizure is completely stopped, talk to him, reassure him, let him recover at his own pace. If the attack continues for more than ten minutes after using Buccolam, if his breathing slows down, of course contact the emergency services (15, 18, or 112).
For children over six months
The two oral and rectal drugs have been compared in four clinical studies. Result: similar efficiency. Ditto for side effects: drowsiness, respiratory depression … have the same risk of occurring for both products. What makes the difference is therefore only the ease of use. Buccolam® is intended for children over 6 months old, for whom a diagnosis of epilepsy has been made. From 3 to 6 months, the product can be administered, but only in hospital, for monitoring. The only drawback is its price: € 86.11 per box of four syringes, reimbursed at 65%.
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