A Cochrane review included two studies with a total of 134 subjects. Meta-analysis of in-hospital deaths indicates that children treated with diazepam alone had a better chance of survival than those treated with combination of phenobarbitone and chlorpromazine (RR for death 0.36; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.86; Risk Difference -0.22; 95% CI -0.38 to -0.06). Giving diazepam alone, or supplementing conventional anticonvulsants (phenobarbitone and chlorpromazine) with diazepam, was reported in one study to be associated with a statistically significantly milder clinical course and shorter duration of hospitalization.
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (inadequate or unclear allocation concealment) and by imprecise results (few patients and wide confidence intervals).