Psychomotor epilepsy in childhood.

PEDIATRICS Vol.53 No.4ApriI 1974 for all. Its very emergency nature may at times add trouble since the tendency may be to overdose. It should be kept in mind that harm can be done by overtreating a patient in status epilepticus, particularly when using the longer-acting drugs. The comatose state frequently accompanying status epilepticus can be worsened by the cumulative effect of too frequent injections of large doses of barbiturates or other hypnotic agents. Patients become so thoroughly drugged with phenobarbital and Dilantin that vital processes and consciousness are reestablished only with difficulty. One should also not ignore the disquieting, though still uncertain reports suggesting that large doses of these drugs may exert more than a transient effect upon neuronal structures, particularly those still undergoing vigorous ontogenetic development. This should not be construed as favoring a more nihilistic approach, but only as a reiteration of the opening statement in this discussion: namely, that management of status epilepticus taxes the ingenuity of the physician in establishing a proper balance between undertreatment and overtreatment.