febrile sezure
Febrile seizure
A febrile seizure, also known as a fever fit or febrile convulsion, is a convulsion associated with a significant rise in body temperature. They most commonly occur in children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years of age. They are more common in boys than girls.
Signs and symptoms
During generalized febrile seizures, the body will become stiff and the arms and legs will begin twitching. The child loses consciousness, although their eyes remain open. Breathing can be irregular. They may become incontinent (wet or soil themselves); they may also vomit or have increased secretions (foam at the mouth). The seizure normally lasts for less than five minutes.
Causes
Febrile seizures are due to fevers, usually those greater than 38 °C (100.4 °F). The cause of the fevers is often a viral illness. The likelihood of a febrile seizure is related to how high the temperature reaches rather than the rate of increase.
The seizures occur, by definition, without an intracranial infection or metabolic problems. They run in families.[1] Several genetic associations have been identified.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is arrived at by eliminating more serious causes of seizure and fever: in particular, meningitis and encephalitis. However, in locales in which children are immunized for pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae, the prevalence of bacterial meningitis is low. If a child has recovered and is acting normally, bacterial meningitis is very unlikely.
Blood test, imaging of the brain and an electroencephalogram are generally not needed.[1]
Types
There are three types of febrile seizures.
A simple febrile seizure is characterized by shorter duration (lasting less than 15 minutes), no focal features (meaning the shaking is general rather than restricted to a part of the body such as an arm or leg), and if they do occur in series, the total duration is less than 30 minutes (classically a generalizedtonic-clonic seizure).
A generalized febrile seizure also
A febrile seizure, also known as a fever fit or febrile convulsion, is a convulsion associated with a significant rise in body temperature. They most commonly occur in children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years of age. They are more common in boys than girls.
Signs and symptoms
During generalized febrile seizures, the body will become stiff and the arms and legs will begin twitching. The child loses consciousness, although their eyes remain open. Breathing can be irregular. They may become incontinent (wet or soil themselves); they may also vomit or have increased secretions (foam at the mouth). The seizure normally lasts for less than five minutes.
Causes
Febrile seizures are due to fevers, usually those greater than 38 °C (100.4 °F). The cause of the fevers is often a viral illness. The likelihood of a febrile seizure is related to how high the temperature reaches rather than the rate of increase.
The seizures occur, by definition, without an intracranial infection or metabolic problems. They run in families.[1] Several genetic associations have been identified.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is arrived at by eliminating more serious causes of seizure and fever: in particular, meningitis and encephalitis. However, in locales in which children are immunized for pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae, the prevalence of bacterial meningitis is low. If a child has recovered and is acting normally, bacterial meningitis is very unlikely.
Blood test, imaging of the brain and an electroencephalogram are generally not needed.[1]
Types
There are three types of febrile seizures.
A simple febrile seizure is characterized by shorter duration (lasting less than 15 minutes), no focal features (meaning the shaking is general rather than restricted to a part of the body such as an arm or leg), and if they do occur in series, the total duration is less than 30 minutes (classically a generalizedtonic-clonic seizure).
A generalized febrile seizure also