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Seizures–Febrile, Pediatric

Jennifer L. Griffith, MD, PhD and Liu Lin Thio, MD, PhD Reviewed 10/2018
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

Febrile seizure: seizure in ≤60-month-old child accompanied by a fever (≥100.4°F or 38°C by any method) but without central nervous system infection or prior unprovoked seizure (Amer...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Obtain detailed description of spell to determine if it was a seizure.

    • Circumstances in which spell occurred

    • Duration

    • Focal features suggest seizure.

    • Focal postictal weakness suggests sei...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

Treat infection. 

MEDICATION

  • Abortive

    • Consider rectal diazepam (0.5 mg/kg) for febrile seizures ≥5 minutes; may cause drowsiness and ataxia; rarely causes respiratory depression

    • ...

ONGOING CARE

PROGNOSIS

  • Febrile seizure recurrence

    • 50% of children <12 months of age at time of first simple febrile seizure have recurrent febrile seizures.

    • 30% of children >12 months of age at tim...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Chungath M, Shorvon S. The mortality and morbidity of febrile seizures. Nat Clin Pract Neurol.  2008;4(11):610–621. [View Abstract on OvidInsights]

  • Gupta A. Febrile seizures. Co...

CODES

ICD9

  • 780.31 Febrile convulsions (simple), unspecified

  • 780.32 Complex febrile convulsions

ICD10

  • R56.00 Simple febrile convulsions

  • R56.01 Complex febrile convulsions

SNOMED

  • 434101000124100 Simple febrile...

FAQ

  • Q: What should parents be told?

  • A: Good neurodevelopmental outcome for simple febrile seizures but relatively high risk for recurrence.

  • Q: Can a child die from a febrile seizure?

  • A: No. Reported mort...

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