MEDizzy - A 16-year-old girl brought by ambulance to the emergency

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Sedative and Hypnotic Drugs

A 16-year-old girl brought by ambulance to the emergency department was diagnosed with status epilepticus and was given an intravenous injection of a drug that binds to the α subunit of the GABA A receptor complex. Which of the following drugs was most likely administered?

ExplanationA Benzodiazepines (mainly diazepam and lorazepam ) are first-line agents for the emergency treatment of status epilepticus. They bind to receptors located at the α subunit of the GABAA receptor−chloride ion channel macromolecular complex, near the interface between α and γ subunits. GABAA receptors in different areas of the central nervous system consist of different isoform s containing five different α subunits (α1, -2, -3, -4, and -5). Benzodiazepines can bind to many of these subunits.