1043-3155 Pediatr Neurol Briefs pedneurbriefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs Pediatric Neurology Briefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs 2166-6482 1043-3155 2166-3155 Pediatric Neurology Briefs Publishers Chicago, IL, USA PNB-7-59 10.15844/pedneurbriefs-7-8-3 Seizure Disorders Neurology Pediatrics Nervous System Diseases Child Development Brain Diseases Neurosurgery Child Infant Prognosis of ‘Lengthy’ Febrile Convulsions http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0173-7931 Millichap J. Gordon MD 1 2 * Division of Neurology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL Correspondence: Dr. J. Gordon Millichap, E-mail: jgmillichap@northwestern.edu 08 1993 01 07 2016 7 8 59 59 Copyright: © 1993 The Author(s) 1993 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Outcome of childhood status epilepticus and lengthy febrile convulsions: findings of national cohort study

The outcome of children with status epilepticus (afebrile seizure >30 min) or lengthy febrile convulsions (>30 min) is reported by a British population based cohort study group that followed 16004 neonatal survivors born in one week in 1970 and assessed them after 5 and 10 years.

 Febrile Convulsions Status Epilepticus Pneumonia

The outcome of children with status epilepticus (afebrile seizure >30 min) or lengthy febrile convulsions (>30 min) is reported by a British population based cohort study group that followed 16004 neonatal survivors born in one week in 1970 and assessed them after 5 and 10 years. Febrile convulsions (FC) in 398 children were lengthy in 19 (4.8%). Children with lengthy FC had a greater risk of afebrile seizures than those with FC <30 min (4/19 [21%] v 13/379 [3.4%]), but the rate was lower than in the status group (14/17 [82%]) and none died. Of 84 children with afebrile seizures, 18 (21%) had status epilepticus, and 2 died: one of cerebellar tumor hemorrhage and the other as a result of encephalitis and pneumonia. Neither death was directly due to status epilepticus. In 10 of 33 survivors of lengthy FC or status, measures of IQ were abnormal but 8 had preceding developmental delay or neurologic abnormality. [1]

COMMENT. This population based study gives a more optimistic outcome of lengthy febrile convulsions and status epilepticus than hospital based studies. A poor outcome was determined more by the underlying cause than the seizure itself. In a prospective study of 110 patients with febrile seizures followed for up to 2 years, the incidence of afebrile seizures and of EEG seizure discharges was significantly greater in patients with ‘prolonged’ febrile seizures >20 min than in those with short seizures <20 min [2]. Both duration of the seizure and the EEG were predictive of outcome.

Pavone L, Galli V et al, Universities of Catania and Modena, Italy, report a follow-up study of 204 children who suffered febrile (FS) and afebrile seizures (AFS) within a 12 month period. EEG specific abnormalities found in 69 (33%) were associated with AFS recurrences in 94%. EEG seizure discharges were predictive of further AFS. [3]

 Verity CM Ross EM Golding J Outcome of childhood status epilepticus and lengthy febrile convulsions: findings of national cohort study BMJ 1993 Jul 24 307 6898 225 228 10.1136/bmj.307.6898.225 8369681 Millichap JG Madsen JA Aledort LM Studies in febrile seizures. V. Clinical and electroencephalographic study in unselected patients Neurology 1960 Jul 10 643 653 10.1212/WNL.10.7.643 14422602 Pavone L Galli V Rizzo R Ciccarone V Cocuzza M Cavazzuti GB Febrile and afebrile convulsions: a clinical follow-up Childs Nerv Syst 1993 Jun 9 3 154 156 10.1007/BF00272266 8374919