Prophylactic Oral Diazepam for Pediatric Epilepsy Patients with Fever-Triggered Episodes

Abstract

Introduction: Epilepsy is a long-standing brain disorder struck by a persistent propensity to have seizures that are not caused by any instant injury to the central nervous system. It also involves numerous consequences on cognition, the brain’s biology, psychology, and social aspects due to periodic seizures. Epilepsy can affect individuals of all ages and genders worldwide. In patients diagnosed with epilepsy based on clinical symptoms, EEG results, age over 60 months, and frequency of unprovoked seizures, the occurrence of seizures during a fever can be triggered. This is because changes in body temperature can impact the electrical activity of neurons and other cellular processes. This study aimed to investigate the effect of oral diazepam on the number of attacks of seizures in epilepsy patients during febrile illness. Methods: from 2020 to 2023, patients were collected during the consultations to private clinics, and outpatient (pediatric & neuro-medicine clinic). 430 patients were collected all those patients diagnosed as epilepsy according to clinical findings and EEG. All patients on antiepileptic drugs either monotherapy or 2 types of drugs aged more than 5 years. 96 patients involved in the study half of them given prophylactic oral diazepam and the 2nd group placebo. Results: The number of assaults per year during febrile illness is significantly reduced with therapy; there is no significant correlation was seen between treatment and age or sex. Conclusion: Oral diazepam can reduce the number of attacks of seizures in epilepsy patients during febrile illness.

Keywords

• epilepsy
• oral diazepam
• fever
• febrile seizure (fs)
• central nervous system (cns)