Abstracts

Diazepam rectal gel (Diastat[reg]) is approved in the United States for treating acute repetitive seizures and can be administered by nonmedical caregivers who have received appropriate instruction. The availability of diazepam rectal gel allows for seizure treatment outside of the hospital and may help patients avoid visits to the emergency department (ED). This chart review study compares the frequency of ED visits before and after the availability of diazepam rectal gel in a cohort of outpatients from a private practice.
The charts of adult male and female outpatients from a private practice were reviewed for seizure types, concomitant antiepilepsy drug (AEDs) use, diazepam rectal gel dose, and frequency of ED visits before (July 2000 through August 2001) and after (September 2001 to the present) the availability of diazepam rectal gel.
Charts for 13 patients (6 women, 7 men) were reviewed. Seizure types included generalized (n=9), complex partial (n=2), and complex partial with secondary generalization (n=2). All patients received diazepam rectal gel doses of 10 mg (n=10) or 15 mg (n=3). Prior to the availability of diazepam rectal gel, patients had a mean of 0.9 ED visits per month. After diazepam rectal gel was available to these patients, the mean frequency of ED visits decreased to 0.1 per month.
The results of this study suggest that the availability of diazepam rectal gel could lead to substantial cost savings by helping patients avoid costly ED visits. Patients in this study had an 89% reduction in the mean frequency of ED visits after diazepam rectal gel became available to them. Further studies to explore the potential and actual cost savings associated with the use of diazepam rectal gel are warranted.
[Supported by: Xcel Pharmaceuticals]