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Frequent febrile episodes and recurrent febrile convulsions
Author(s) -
Knudsen F. U.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1988.tb03678.x
Subject(s) - febrile seizure , febrile convulsions , medicine , pediatrics , diazepam , el niño , adverse effect , anesthesia , epilepsy , psychiatry
‐ The relationship between the number of febrile episodes and recurrent febrile convulsions was studied prospectively in 289 children after their first febrile seizure. They were randomized to either short‐term diazepam prophylaxis ( n = 152) or to no prophylaxis ( n = 137), and followed for 18 months. Among untreated children with many subsequent febrile episodes ( 4 per year) 29 of 37 (78%) had a recurrence vs. 17 of 100 (17%) with only few (< 4 per year) feverish illnesses. The former group had a 4:1 chance of developing further febrile fits, compared with a 1:4 chance in the latter ( P < 0.0001). A similar pattern was observed in the prophylaxis group, but less recurrences were seen (30% vs. 6%, P < 0.0001). By Cox regression analysis, the subsequent occurrence of many febrile episodes could be identified among several items, including young age at onset, as the adverse factor most highly associated with further febrile fits ( P < 0.0001).