• Sriram Ramgopal, Kerry McCans, Christian Martin-Gill, and Sylvia Owusu-Ansah.
• From the Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.
• Pediatr Emerg Care. 2021 Dec 1; 37 (12): e1331e1338e1331-e1338.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to compare statewide prehospital protocols for the management of pediatric seizures.MethodsWe performed a descriptive analysis comparing statewide protocols for emergency medical services management of pediatric seizures within the United States, excluding states for which no statewide protocol/model was available. We compared antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), routes and doses of administration, and differences in febrile seizure management.ResultsOf 50 states, 34 had either statewide protocols or models and were included. All had a protocol for the management of seizures and provided specific recommendations for the management of pediatric seizures. Twelve states (35%) preferentially recommended midazolam over other benzodiazepines. Thirty-two (94%) of 34 allowed for use of midazolam, with variable use of other AEDs. All allowed for use of intramuscular AED. Twenty-six (77%) allowed for intranasal AED. Nine (27%) allowed emergency medical services to administer a patient's own abortive AED, and 6 (18%) allowed for use of a patient's vagal nerve stimulator, when present. There was a wide variability with respect to dosing ranges for medications. Thirty-two (94%) of 34 included blood glucose measurement within the protocol. Twenty-one protocols (62%) provided recommendations for febrile seizures, including recommending active/passive cooling (8/34, 24%) and antipyretic administration (9/34, 26%).ConclusionsAll statewide protocols carried specific guidelines for the prehospital management of pediatric seizures; however, there was wide variability with respect to specific AEDs, routes of administration, and drug dosages. In addition to broader availability of statewide guidance, areas of potential protocol improvement and research include AED dose optimization, reprioritization of blood glucose, and greater emphasis on intranasal or intramuscular medication dosing.Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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