Febrile Seizures

Abstract

Febrile seizures are the most common form of childhood seizures, affecting 2% to 5% of children. They are considered benign and self-limiting; however, a febrile seizure is a terrifying event for most parents, and is one of the most common causes of trips to the emergency room. A febrile seizure is "an event in infancy or childhood, usually occurring between 3 months and 5 years of age, associated with fever but without evidence of intracranial infection or defined cause." This definition excludes seizures with fever in children who have had a prior afebrile seizure. In 2011, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a clinical practice guideline defining a febrile seizure as "a seizure accompanied by fever (temperature ≥ 100.4°F or 38°C by any method), without central nervous system infection, that occurs in infants and children 6 through 60 months of age." Febrile seizures are further classified as simple or complex. This article reviews the evaluation, management, and prognosis of simple and complex seizures, including febrile status epilepticus.

Febrile seizures: a population-based study

“…Febrile seizures are the most common seizures in children younger than 5 years, affecting 2---5% of the pediatric population 1 ; they are considered to be benign and selflimited, 2 and are classified as simple and complex. 1 Upper airway viral infections are the most common triggering factors.…”

Targeted Temperature Management in Pediatric Central Nervous System Disease

“…Fever is associated with increased risk of seizures in susceptible children 48,49 . HT has been shown to decrease seizure frequency and duration in experimental models of status epilepticus 50,51 .…”

Efficiency of Fetuin-A and Procalcitonin in the Diagnosis of Infection in Patients with Febrile Seizure

“…It is the most common cause of seizures in children with unknown etiology (2) that affects 2% to 5% of children between 3 months and 5 years of age (1).One of the possible causes of FS is sepsis. Therefore, it is important to detect and distinguish it from other causes in order to choose the most suitable treatment of FS.…”

“…Febrile seizure (FS) is defined according to the American Academy of Pediatrics guideline as a seizure accompanied by fever (temperature ≥38°C) (1). It is the most common cause of seizures in children with unknown etiology (2) that affects 2% to 5% of children between 3 months and 5 years of age (1).One of the possible causes of FS is sepsis.…”