Abstract
Objectives
To expand current knowledge on febrile seizures (FSs), the most common childhood seizure disorder, we investigated clinical features and risk factors of FS in the pediatric emergency department of a center in western Seoul.
Methods
Children with FS that visited the pediatric emergency room of the Ewha Womans University Medical Center from January to December 2014 were included in this study. A retrospective medical record review was conducted for a total of 404 seizure events relative to 265 patients.
Results
A total of 150 boys and 115 girls were enrolled. Children presenting their first FSs were 70.9% (n=188). Average age of FS onset was 28.9 months. Family history was reported in 95 children (36.8%) with higher relevance of paternal inheritance (44.2%, n=42/95). More than half of the seizures (56.4%, n=228/404) occurred on the first day of fever. The most common cause of fever was upper respiratory tract infection (65.8%, n=266/404). Children attending a daycare center had higher incidence of multiple FS compared to those cared for at home. Approximately one third of seizure events (31.7%, n=128/404) were admission cases, mainly because of prolonged fever.
Conclusion
FS is a common neurologic disorder with relatively high admission rate among pediatric emergency department visits. Daycare attendance is associated with current increased incidence of multiple FS. Further study with long-term follow up is necessary to expand knowledge on improving clinical care strategy in FS.
Figures and Tables
References
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