Febrile convulsion: another look at an old subiect

Review article. Published in Iran Journal of Child Neurology, June 2006. P: 5-9.Febrile convulsion (FC), an occurrence frequently encountered in everyday practice, is discussed in this article with a review of corresponding literature. Taking into account the extent of debate on the topic, from FC being considered a kind of epileptic seizure to its being viewed as a nonepileptic phenomenon, our aim is not to be judgmental regarding its nature in the present writing. Two distinct groups of children, who convulse with fever are described; one, the group whose neurological status is suboptimal and the other children who one who enjoy good health. In this review, the clinical aspects of management of fever, a forerunner of a seizure are emphasized. The other important aspect of handling a case of febrile convulsion consists of controlling the seizure, which should be done without any delay when it occurs. Nowadays, the drugs of choice are diazepines, used via the rectal, buccal or intranasal routes. The most important area of investigation is lumbar puncture in a child who has had a febrile convulsion, which will be discussed at the end.