The SAMUKeppra study in prehospital status epilepticus: lessons for future study

In the Lancet Neurology article “Prehospital treatment with levetiracetam plus clonazepam or placebo plus clonazepam in status epilepticus (SAMUKeppra): a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial” the authors conducted a prehospital, randomized controlled study to determine which treatment is more effective for status epilepticus (SE): benzodiazepine alone, or in combination with levetiracetam (LEV). Although the study had negative results, several aspects of the trial design likely masked any added effect that LEV may have had in controlling SE, including: higher doses of benzodiazepines, lower thresholds for determining cessation of SE, and a smaller sample size. Regardless, the study reaffirms the effectiveness and importance of early and adequate benzodiazepine dosing and helps guide us in designing future studies for treatment of SE.