Febrile convulsion

Question 1

Most common age

Answer 1

6 months to 5 years

Question 2

Kind of seizure

Answer 2

short-lived and tonic-clonic in nature

Question 3

Prognosis
- 1 in 3 children will have at least one more febrile convulsion
- Simple febrile convulsions
[…] affect development
- […] hugely increase the child’s likelihood of developing epilepsy (by […]%)

Complex febrile convulsions last for a […] time and/or occur […] times in the […] febrile illness –> associated with a […] increased risk of epilepsy, around 4-12%.

Answer 3

don’t
don’t, 1
long, multiple, same, significantly

Question 4

Acute management of febrile seizures

Find source of fever –> underlying cause requires any treatment.

• Parents should be advised on:
• Appropriate anti-pyretic usage
• […] give anti-pyretics ‘prophylactically’ –> no evidence that they will […] incidence of FCs
• To avoid sponging a child to cool them down
• Appropriate safety net advice should another seizure occur –> […][…]

Answer 4

Don’t, reduce
status epilleticus

Question 5

“Should I give my child paracetamol?”

Answer 5

It will not reduce risk of FCs, however if they seem miserable with their temperature then paracetamol might help with symptoms