Characteristics of Children Admitted to the Emergency Department with Convulsive Epileptic Seizures: A Single-Center Study

Abstract

Introduction: To evaluate the etiology and characteristics of children admitted to the emergency department with an acute convulsive epileptic seizure. Methods: Data of patients who were admitted to the emergency department with a convulsive epileptic seizure were reviewed. The patients were divided into febrile seizure, first idiopathic non-febrile seizure, idiopathic epilepsy, symptomatic epilepsy, and symptomatic seizure groups. Results: A total of 335 children were included in the study. Febrile seizures were the most common cause of convulsive seizure (38.5% of all visits), followed by idiopathic epilepsy-related seizures (35.8%), symptomatic epilepsy-related seizures (8.1%), first non-febrile seizures (17.6%), and symptomatic seizures (1.5%). The mean age of the patients was 4.73 years, and it was significantly lower in patients with febrile seizures when compared to the other groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: Knowing the characteristics of children admitted to the emergency department with a convulsive epileptic seizure is important to guide appropriate management and individualized follow-up.

Keywords

• fever
• fever management
• knowledge
• health professional
• Emergency department
• children
• epilepsy
• convulsion
• seizure