In a rat model of status epilepticus (SE) induced by lithium and pilocarpine and refractory to midazolam, deep hypothermia (20. °C for 30. min) reduced EEG power over 50-fold, stopped SE within 12. min, and reduced EEG spikes by 87%. Hypothermia deserves further investigation as a treatment of last resort for refractory SE.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Status Epilepticus".