TITLE:
Febrile Convulsions in Infants at the Pediatrics University Hospital Center Charles de Gaulle of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)
AUTHORS:
A. Kaboré, A. Diallo, H. Savadogo, S. A. P. Ouédraogo, K. Nagalo, S. Yougbaré, D. Yé
KEYWORDS:
Febrile Seizures, Infants, Associated Pathologies
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.8 No.2,
June
28,
2018
ABSTRACT: Context: Seizures rank high among the commonest emergencies encountered in
Pediatrics. As far as the etiologies are concerned, the most frequently confronted
cause is infectious diseases. Therefore, particularly in the present work
context, febrile seizures have been inadequately investigated. The study aimed
at assessing the prevalence of febrile convulsions in our pediatrics department. Materials
and Methods: This retrospective study was performed in the Pediatrics
Medical Service Department of the Pediatrics University Hospital Charles de
Gaulle of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso (West Africa). Infants from one and
thirty months of age, hospitalized between January 1, 2011 and December 31,
2012, were included in this study. Seizures are defined as those who accompany fevers above or equal to 38°C. However, the exclusions from the study
included those infants recognized as epileptics; those with abnormal
psychomotor development; those afflicted with encephalitis and meningitis; and
children with hypoglycemia or dehydration with ionic disorders, as well as
those infants who lacked lumbar puncture results. Data were analyzed using the
Epi Info software version 3.5.1. Results: While the average age of the patients was 13 months, the average
incidence of the febrile seizures was 2.5%. The seizures occurred all through
the year, peaking in October (14.1%). The peak frequency (38.7%) was recorded
in children from 12 to 24 months. About one-half of the patients (46.2%)
registered a temperature from 38.5°C to 39.4°C. In 68.9% of the cases, the
tonic convulsions were of the common type of convulsions. The number of convulsions
was in the range of >2 episodes/24 h in
83.3% of the children. The pathologies commonly associated with tonic
convulsions included acute gastroenteritis (29.4%), malaria (25.8%) and
bronchopneumopathies (23.3%). The evolution was favorable in 95.3% of the
cases. Conclusion: While this study confirms the benign character of the
febrile convulsions, their recurrent quality necessitates the codification of a
prospective study, for clearer identification and closer case monitoring.