YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH CARE/DISORDERS OF THE BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD: CONVULSIONS CLINICAL FEATURES AND INVESTIGATIONS
Clinical features
There are a number of different types of convulsions, but they are usually characterised by the sudden onset of a stiffening of the body, followed by jerking movements, after which the child usually sleeps deeply for an hour or so. Most convulsions do not last longer than several minutes. Convulsions can be partial, affecting only one part of the body, or general, involving the whole body.
Some convulsions (petit mat) do not involve jerking body movements, but simply appear as an ‘absence’ from activities. The child stares for a few seconds, and then continues with what he was doing as if nothing has happened. Epilepsy is the term given to the condition where the child has more than one seizure, and there is an abnormal EEG and Epilepsy.
The characteristics of a febrile convulsion are similar to those of a general convulsion. The episode is usually brief, lasting less than 5 minutes, and the child makes a complete recovery afterwards, although he may be a little drowsy for an hour or so. He will also have symptoms of the condition that caused the fever, such as a runny nose or earache or cough. Occasionally the febrile seizure will be associated with a more serious condition such as meningitis so it is important to see a doctor so that this diagnosis can be excluded.
Investigations
If your child has a convulsion which is not due to fever, your doctor will suggest that an EEG be performed, and occasionally a CT scan of the brain.
Investigations are rarely indicated for febrile seizures. Sometimes blood or urine tests, or a chest X-ray, may be performed to find the condition which caused the fever. An EEG is performed if there are repeated febrile convulsions but it is usually not indicated after a single episode.
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