FEBRILE SEIZURES

Hot shaky baby

Febrile Seizures were a surprisingly common occurrence when I worked in the ER. When some kids get high enough fevers, they seize (tonic-clonic). This can be very scary for the parents, but don’t worry because they’re quite safe. The vast majority of children who have a febrile seizure won’t have a second. In fact, while they’re slightly more likely to have epilepsy as adults, their risk is only ~2% (compared to ~1% in the general peds population). Apparently there is some genetic element at play in these kids, but scientists aren’t quite sure. 

Do you treat them?

Treat the fever (Acetaminophen). DON’T treat the seizure with antiepileptics.

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