06/22/2026
"Intranasal is easier, less traumatic, just spray the nose and you're good."
We've all heard it. But new data says something different.
Nearly 4,000 pediatric seizure patients. 98% prehospital. One clear finding:
โ IM midazolam = requires 30% less rescue therapy
โ 24 seconds faster seizure termination
โ Results held at proper dosing
โ Strongest effect in the pre-hospital setting
Intranasal bioavailability: Only 50-60%. While IM is 90%+.
During an active seizure with secretions and positioning challenges, that gap widens.
If your intranasal dose fails, you've now intervened twice and lost precious time. Every second counts when GABA receptors are downregulating in real time.
Bottom line: IM into the lateral thigh deserves to be your default, not your fallback.
Watch the full episode with lead author Jonathan Mohnkern on the Florida EMS Webinar: https://youtu.be/jd7Jl2p8CRc?si=j8r9xmilCOn1mBh2
Time is brain. Route matters.
Read the full study:https://media.handtevy.com/website/Intranasal-Versus-Intramuscular-Midazolam-in-Pediatric-Seizure-Control-A-Systematic-Review-and-Meta-Analysis.pdf