Febrile Seizure in Children Attending a Tertiary Care Centre in Western Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Understanding a child with any episode of febrile seizure is important so that special attention could be given. The objective of this study was to find the prevalence of febrile seizure in children attending a tertiary centre in western Nepal.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in a tertiary care centre at the department of Pediatrics after taking approval from the Institutional Review Committee. Study was conducted among the children presented with febrile seizure from 18th October 2017 to 12th April 2020. Patient files were retrospectively reviewed. Convenience sampling method was used. Data and descriptive analysis were done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and percentage for binary data.

Results: Of the total 4701 admitted children during a study period, 217 (4.61%) (3.41-5.81 at 95% Confidence Interval) children had febrile seizure. Out of them, 154 (70.9%) male and 63 (29.1%) female with 168 (77.4%) simple and 49 (22.6%) complex febrile seizure. The mean age of presentation was at 23.2±13.61 months whereas mean age for male and female were 22.99±13.86 months and 23.73±13.09 months respectively. Recurrent febrile seizure noted in 68 (31.3%) children and fever in half the cases 110 (50.7%) was caused by Upper Respiratory Tract Infection.

Conclusions: Simple febrile seizure was more common and the peak age of presentation was in the second year of life and more commonly in male. One third of febrile seizures were recurrent and half the children had upper respiratory tract infection as the most common etiology of fever.