Evaluation of the Results of Patients with a First Afebrile Seizure Admitted to a Pediatric Emergency Department

Abstract

Introduction:This study aimed to evaluate the neuroimaging results and associated characteristics of patients admitted to a pediatric emergency department for their first afebrile seizures.Methods:Patients admitted to the Emergency Room of University of Health Sciences Turkey, Ankara Dr. Sami Ulus Children’s Hospital between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2019, with a diagnosis of first afebrile seizure were included in this study. Patients in this study included children without prior neurological or chronic disease and no history of drug use. The medical files of the patients were examined retrospectively.Results:In our study group, 55% were male (n=22) and 45% were female (n=18). The median age was 4.50 (0.25-17.00) years. The median seizure duration was 5.0 (0.03-30.0) minutes. Physical examinations performed in the emergency department yielded unremarkable findings in 80% (n=32) of the patients. A computed tomography scan detected a specific pathology in 10% (n=4) of the patients and magnetic resonance imaging was used in 12.5% (n=5) of the patients. There was no significant difference in terms of gender, age, and seizure duration between patients with and without pathology detected in neuroimaging (p>0.05).Conclusion:On evaluating patients admitted to the emergency department with their first afebrile seizures, 85% had normal neuroimaging findings. Variables such as gender, age, and seizure duration were not associated with the presence or absence of pathology in neuroimaging.

Keywords

• childhood
• pediatric emergency department
• afebrile seizures