FEBRILE CONVULSIONS

Question 1

Children in what age range are typically affected by febrile seizures?

Answer 1

6 months to 5 years

Question 2

What proportion of children will at some point in their life have a febrile convulsion?

Answer 2

3 - 5%

Question 3

How long do febrile seizures tend to last?

Answer 3

Usually brief, less than 5 minutes

Simple seizures always last less than 15 mins

Complex febrile seizures will last more than 15 mins

Question 4

What type of seizures are febrile seizures?

Answer 4

Tonic-clonic seizure

OR

Generalised clonic

Question 5

What are the features of simple febrile seizures (rather than complex febrile seizures)?

Answer 5

Last less than 15 mins

Tonic-clonic

Doesn’t reoccur in following 24 hours or within current period of child illness

Question 6

What are the features of complex febrile seizures (rather than simple febrile seizures)?

Answer 6

One or more of following features:

• Seizure lasts longer than 15 minutes
• Partial or focal seizure
• Another seizure within 24 hours of the first seizure, or during the same period of illness
• Child doesn’t fully recover from the seizure within one hour

Question 7

What do we say to parents regarding management of future seizures?

Answer 7

Give paracetamol - will not help seizure but will reduce fever

Call ambulance if lasts more than 5 minutes

Can train them to give rectal diazepam

Question 8

Are febrile seizures linked to epilepsy?

Answer 8

If simple seizures (no focal signs + lasts less than 15 minutes + single seizure) then 1% risk of developing epilepsy

In the