Evaluation of Clinical Features of 238 Cases with Febrile Convulsion
Abstract
Objective: Febrile convulsion (FC) is defined as a seizure triggered by fever in children between 6 months and 5 years of age without an underlying central nervous system infection. In this study, we aimed to evaluate clinical features including demographics, laboratory findings, and causes of fever with FC duration among inpatients diagnosed and treated for FC.
Methods: A total of 238 patients with the diagnosis of FC between May 2009 and May 2012 were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of the patients were analyzed.
Results: One hundred and thirty nine patients (58.5%) were male and 99 (41.5%) were female, with a male/female ratio of 1.4. Mean age of the patients admitted with a first FC was 2.2 ± 1.1 years. The mean temperature of the patients measured rectally during the seizure was 38.7 ± 0.5 ºC. Febrile convulsion was diagnosed as simple type in 198 (83.2%) and complex type in 40 (16.8%) of the patients. Thirty three (13.8%) patients developed a second seizure within 24 hours. Median convulsion duration was 2 (1-5) minutes. The most frequent fever etiology was upper respiratory tract infection in 131 (55%) cases.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that benign conditions, such as upper respiratory tract infections, were common causes of FC. A conservative approach should be more appropriate in these cases.
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