Page 17 - SOUTH FLORIDA HOSPITAL NEWS JULY 2022
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What You Need to Know
About Febrile Seizures
Febrile seizures are one of the most common seizures,
typically affecting children between six months and five
years of age with a peak incidence between 12 and 18
months. They occur in 2 to 4 per cent of children younger
than 5 years.
The febrile seizures are diagnosed clinically and Specializing in Medically
defined as a convulsion associated with an elevated tem-
perature (more than 100.4 F), absence of central nervous Complex Patients
system (CNS) infection, and absence of acute systemic
metabolic abnormality, in addition to no history of a pre- Kindred Hospitals are owned by Kindred
vious febrile seizures. Risk factors include high fever, Healthcare, Inc., a national network of Long Term
infection such as human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6), aden- Acute Care Hospitals (LTACH's).
ovirus, influenza A and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), BY RAMZY MEDAA,
as well as immunization. MD Kindred Hospitals provide specialized, high quality
A genetic susceptibility to febrile seizures has been rec- care for acutely ill patients. For more than a decade,
ognized; however, in most cases the exact mode of inher- we have fine-tuned the art of medically complex care.
itance is still unknown. Our services range from complex catastrophic
The febrile seizures are classified as one of two types, simple febrile seizures and illnesses that require intensive care, post-surgical medical
complex febrile seizures. rehabilitation to patients suffering from chronic diseases requiring respiratory and
rehabilitative therapies. Kindred Hospitals provide outcome-oriented
Simple Febrile Seizures cost effective care for patients with a wide spectrum of
Simple seizures are generalized seizures, usually tonic-clonic, lasting less than 15 medical conditions.
minutes (median duration of 3-4 minutes), and which do not recur in a 24-hour peri-
od. Children typically return to baseline quickly after a simple febrile seizure. The Admissions to Kindred Hospitals may be
postictal phase can be associated with confusion or agitation and lethargy. No treat- recommended by physicians, acute-care hospitals,
ment is required for the seizure itself. rehabilitation hospitals, managed care providers, case
management companies or by the patient’s family.
Complex Febrile Seizures In all cases family tours are encouraged.
Complex febrile seizures are defined as focal onset or prolonged, lasting more than
15 minutes or recurrent within 24 hours. They are less prevalent, and account for
approximately 20 percent of febrile seizures. Children with complex febrile seizures
are often younger and more likely to have abnormal development. Kindred Hospital Kindred Hospital Kindred Hospital Kindred Hospital
These seizures require a more individualized approach and investigations which Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Coral Gables The Palm Beaches
include electroencephalography (EEG) and MRI of the brain, as well as lumbar punc- 1516 East Las Olas Blvd. 1859 Van Buren St. 5190 Southwest Eighth St. 5555 West Blue Heron Blvd
ture (if indicated) to exclude meningitis or encephalitis. Lumbar puncture should be Ft. Lauderdale FL 33301 Hollywood, FL 33020 Coral Gables, FL 33134 Riviera Beach, FL 33418
954-764-8900, ext. 5136 954-920-9000 305-448-1585 561-904-8451
performed in children who are less than 12 months old or have clinical signs of
www.khfortlauderdale.com www.khsfhollywood.com www.khcoralgables.com www.khthepalmbeaches.com
meningitis.
Anti-seizure medications can be given during the acute illness. Diazepam is pre-
scribed for patients 2 years and older, given rectally for seizures lasting more than 5
minutes or for clusters of seizures without returning to baseline in between.
Epilepsy occurs more frequently in children who have had febrile seizures com-
pared to the general population. In a normal child with a simple febrile seizure, the
risk is almost similar to that of the general population. However, children with com-
plex febrile seizures, a history of developmental delay, or a family history of epilepsy
have an increased risk.
Dr. Ramzy Medaa is Board-certified in Neurology and Epilepsy.
His office is at KIDZ Pediatric Multispecialty Center in Naples.
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South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com July 2022 17
