Objective In the absence of intravenous access, rectal diazepam is the standard management for prolonged seizures. The mode of administration and rapid onset of action make BM a superior alternative in this setting. Evidence based medicine currently advocates BM as first line management. Our aim was to identify the frequency and familiarity of BM usage amongst parents and healthcare professionals for children with seizure disorders.

Method Questionnaires were devised and distributed amongst parents of children who suffer from epilepsy as well as doctors and nurses in our paediatric department over a period of 3 months.

Results 134 questionnaires (parents 53, doctors 46, and nurses 35) were completed and analysed. 34% parents, 72% doctors and 94% nurses were aware of BM, of these 78% parents, 21% doctors and 53% nurses had actually administered it. Majority of parents (93%) administered the oral preparation of BM compared to healthcare professionals. 85% doctors and 88% nurses used the intravenous preparation. Most parents (93%) and healthcare professionals (86% doctors, 94% nurses) were satisfied with the mode of administration. All parents, 86% doctors and 94% nurses were content with the efficacy of BM to control seizures.

Conclusion Our survey demonstrated a high degree of satisfaction over the efficacy and mode of administration of BM. Majority of parents were not aware of BM and doctors were not as familiar as nurses in administering it. We conclude that BM is a superior outpatient management option for prolonged seizures in children but its awareness needs to be increased.