| FEBRILE CONVULSION |
Definition:
Convulsion associated with fever of extra-cranial origin.
Consensus developmental panel on febrile convulsions defines
'febrile fits' as an event in the infant or child occurring
between 3 months to 5 years with fever but without evidence
for intra cranial infections or any other definite cause.
Incidence is 2-4% of pediatric population. |
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The
three components in febrile convulsions are
- Fever The height of temperature and rapid rise in temperature
or both occur within 1 hr of onset of fever in 44% and after
24 hrs in 13%. In the remaining it occurs within 24 hrs.
- Genetic Basis Poly modal inheritance in many and autosomal
dominant mode in some families.M
- Age Febrile convulsions are reported to be age dependent
occurring mostly between 6 months to 5 years with a range
from 1 month to 7 years.
Combination of fever with seizures without intracranial
infection or acute metabolic cause is a heterogeneous
group consisting of 3 sub types,
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- Febrile Convulsion Commonest type
- Fever and convulsions caused by unrecognized brain insult.
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Fever acts as a trigger to unmask chronic epilepsy which becomes evident later even in the absence of fever.
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Simple
Febrile Seizure :( Typical Febrile Seizures) |
Age: 6 months to 6
Years
- Seizure occurs when the temperature raises rapidly (38
38.5o C)
- Fits occurs within 24 Hrs from the onset of fever.
- Tonic and clonic in nature
- Each attack lasting for a few seconds to 10 minutes.
- Post ictal weakness should not persist for more than 24
Hrs.
- EEG changes should be there one week after the attack
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Complex Febrile Seizures or Atypical Febrile fits
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- Fits can occur before 6 months of age or after 6 years
of age.
- Fits occur after 24 hours from the onset of fever.
- Fits lasting for more than 15 minutes.
- More than one attack within 24 Hrs.
- Presence of EEG change one week after the attack of fits.
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