Participants 396
Febrile Seizures
Febrile seizures affect 2-5% of children between 6 months to 5 years of age and are defined as seizures accompanied by fever without central nervous system infection. They are usually generalized in nature, lasting less than 15 minutes. Common precipitating illnesses include otitis media, upper respiratory infections, roseola, gastroenteritis.
- Risk factors:
- Age < 18 months
- Family history of febrile seizures
- Rapid rate of temperature rise
- Low degree of fever at time of seizure
- Short duration between onset of fever and seizure
- Symptoms:
- Behavioral changes, irritability
- Eye deviation or twitching
- Jerking of limbs or facial muscles
- Loss of muscle tone
- Temporary apnea
Status Epilepticus
Status epilepticus refers to prolonged continuous seizure activity lasting more than 5 minutes or recurrent seizures without full recovery in between. Subtypes include convulsive status epilepticus which is a prolonged convulsive seizure and nonconvulsive status epilepticus which is a prolonged change in mental status without convulsions.
Etiologies include acute causes such as CNS infections, metabolic abnormalities, drug noncompliance, drug overdose; remote causes like cerebral migrational disorders, perinatal brain injury, neurodegenerative disorders; and cryptogenic causes with unknown etiology.
- Symptoms:
- Convulsions with loss of consciousness
- Confusion or delirium
- Autonomic instability: Hypertension, tachycardia, hyperthermia
- Focal neurological deficits post-seizure