Treatment FAQ

what is the treatment for febrile seizures

by Howard Gusikowski Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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For patients who have an ongoing seizure at the time of assessment (i.e., febrile status epilepticus), intravenous diazepam (0.2 to 0.5 mg per kg of weight intravenously every 15 minutes for a cumulative dosage of 5 mg in children one month to five years of age) often is effective.May 15, 2006

Medication

Your neurologist should address these questions with you before developing a treatment plan:

  • How is your sleep quality?
  • Do you have chronic anxiety, depression, or excessive stress?
  • Do you take other medications that may affect your epilepsy medication or directly increase the risk you will have a seizure?
  • Does your use of alcohol, caffeine, or herbal remedies affect your seizure control? ...
  • Acupuncture
  • Aerobic exercise

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Self-care

Vitamins

  • Vitamin B-6. Vitamin B-6 is used to treat a rare form of epilepsy known as pyridoxine-dependent seizures. ...
  • Magnesium. Severe magnesium deficiency may increase seizure risk. ...
  • Vitamin E. Some people with epilepsy may also have a vitamin E deficiency. ...
  • Other vitamins. ...

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  • Stay as calm as you can.
  • Place your child on a flat surface on their side. ...
  • Do not move them unless they are in danger or near something dangerous.
  • Do not restrain them.
  • Wipe away any vomit or saliva outside the child’s mouth, but do not put anything between their teeth.
  • After the seizure stops, keep your child on their side.

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What treatment is effective for patients with seizures?

  • Do not hold the person down or try to stop his or her movements.
  • Do not put anything in the person’s mouth. This can injure teeth or the jaw. ...
  • Do not try to give mouth-to-mouth breaths (like CPR). People usually start breathing again on their own after a seizure.
  • Do not offer the person water or food until he or she is fully alert.

What do you use to treat seizures?

How can febrile seizures be prevented?

How to treat a victim having a seizure?

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How do you treat a child with febrile seizures?

If your child has a febrile seizure, stay calm and:Gently place your child on the floor or the ground.Remove any nearby objects.Place your child on his or her side to prevent choking.Loosen any clothing around the head and neck.Watch for signs of breathing problems, including bluish color in the face.More items...

What is the drug of choice for febrile seizures?

In the acute setting, intravenous diazepam and lorazepam are the drugs of choice for aborting seizures or terminating continuous febrile or afebrile seizures10). Diazepam is the fastest-acting benzodiazepine and rapidly crosses biological membranes, including the rectal mucosa and blood-brain barrier.

What triggers febrile seizures?

Febrile seizures are seizures or convulsions that occur in young children and are triggered by fever. The fever may accompany common childhood illnesses such as a cold, the flu, or an ear infection. In some cases, a child may not have a fever at the time of the seizure but will develop one a few hours later.

Which of the following drugs is preferred in case of febrile conversion?

Oral diazepam can reduce the risk of subsequent febrile seizures. Because it is intermittent, this therapy probably has the fewest adverse effects.

What is the most effective drug of choice for treating an infant with febrile seizures?

For patients who have an ongoing seizure at the time of assessment (i.e., febrile status epilepticus), intravenous diazepam (0.2 to 0.5 mg per kg of weight intravenously every 15 minutes for a cumulative dosage of 5 mg in children one month to five years of age) often is effective.

Is a febrile seizure an emergency?

Fortunately, febrile seizures are usually harmless, only last a few minutes, and typically don't indicate a serious health problem.

What age do febrile seizures stop?

Sometimes a seizure is the first sign that a child has a fever. Febrile seizures are common. A few children will have one at some time - usually between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. Most children outgrow them by age 6.

How do you treat seizures in babies?

What to Do if Your Child Has a Seizure:Gently place your child on the floor or ground, and remove any nearby objects.Lay your child on his or her side to prevent choking on saliva (spit).If your child vomits, clear out the mouth gently with your finger.Loosen any clothing around the head or neck.More items...

What are the symptoms of a febrile seizure?

The symptoms of febrile seizures vary based on the two types. Symptoms of simple febrile seizure are: loss of consciousness. twitching limbs or convulsions (usu ally in a rhythmic pattern) confusion or tiredness after the seizure. no arm or leg weakness.

What to do after a seizure?

After the febrile seizure ends, see a doctor or emergency medical professional. Have your child take medication to lower their fever, like ibuprofen (Advil) if they’re over 6 months old or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Wipe their skin with a washcloth or sponge and room temperature water to cool them down.

How often do you have multiple seizures?

Multiple seizures may happen over a 30-minute period. They may happen more than once during a 24-hour time frame as well. When a simple or complex febrile seizure occurs repeatedly, it’s considered a recurrent febrile seizure. Symptoms of recurrent febrile seizures include:

How old do you have to be to have a febrile seizure?

Febrile seizures are most common between the ages of 12 and 18 months of age. There are two types of febrile seizures: simple and complex. Complex febrile seizures last longer. Simple febrile seizures are more common.

What temperature can a child have if they have a seizure?

They’re convulsions a child can have during a very high fever that’s usually over 102.2 to 104°F (39 to 40°C) or higher. This fever will happen rapidly. The rapid change in temperature is more of a factor than how high the fever gets for triggering a seizure. They usually happen when your child has an illness.

Can a fever cause seizures?

A fever that occurs after immunizations, especially the MMR (mumps measles rubella) immunization, can cause febrile seizures. A high fever after immunizations most often occurs 8 to 14 days after your child has been given the immunization.

Can ibuprofen help with fever?

Reducing your child’s fever with ibuprofen or acetaminophen when they’re sick doesn’t prevent febrile seizures. Since the majority of febrile seizures have no lasting effects on your child, it’s normally not recommended to give any anti-seizure medications to prevent future seizures.

When do febrile seizures occur?

Febrile seizures usually happen on the first day and in the first hours of fever. A recent vaccine that causes a fever. The fever, not the vaccine, triggers the seizure. There is a family history of febrile seizures. The first seizure occurs before age one. There are two types of febrile seizures.

What to do if a child has a seizure?

The emergency squad can give medicine to stop the seizure. Your child has trouble breathing during the seizure and his skin or lips change in color . Your child chokes on secretions (blood, vomit, etc.) Your child is injured during a fall or during the seizure and requires first aid (cut, broken bone).

How long does a seizure last in a child?

The child has one seizure in 24 hours. It affects the entire body and lasts less than 15 minutes. Complex (atypical): This type affects either one part or one side of the body. A child may have more than one seizure in 24 hours. Each may last more than 15 minutes.

When do children outgrow seizures?

Most children outgrow them by age 6. Almost a third of children who have had one seizure will have others. While scary to parents, febrile seizures usually do not last long and do not cause brain damage, learning disabilities or epilepsy.

Can a child have more than one seizure?

A child is at risk to have more than one seizure if: There is a family history of febrile seizures. The first seizure occurs before age one. There are two types of febrile seizures. Simple (typical): This type is more common. The child has one seizure in 24 hours.

Can fever cause seizure in children?

For most children fever causes only minor discomfort that can be relieved with acetaminophen (Children's Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Children’s Motrin® or Advil®). But in a few children, fever can bring on a seizure or a convulsion.

What is the best medication for a long febrile seizure?

Rectal diazepam (Diastat) or nasal midazolam might be prescribed to be used as needed for children who are prone to long febrile seizures. These medications are typically used to treat seizures that last longer than five minutes or if the child has more than one seizure within 24 hours.

What is febrile seizure?

A febrile seizure is a convulsion in a child that's caused by a fever. The fever is often from an infection. Febrile seizures occur in young, healthy children who have normal development and haven't had any neurological symptoms before. It can be frightening when your child has a febrile seizure. Fortunately, febrile seizures are usually harmless, ...

How long does a febrile seizure last?

Febrile seizures are classified as simple or complex: Simple febrile seizures. This most common type lasts from a few seconds to 15 minutes. Simple febrile seizures do not recur within a 24-hour period and are not specific to one part of the body.

How to know if a child has a seizure?

Usually, a child having a febrile seizure shakes all over and loses consciousness. Sometimes, the child may get very stiff or twitch in just one area of the body. A child having a febrile seizure may: Have a fever higher than 100.4 F (38.0 C) Lose consciousness. Shake or jerk the arms and legs.

When do febrile seizures occur?

Most febrile seizures occur in children between 6 months and 5 years of age , with the greatest risk between 12 and 18 months of age. Family history. Some children inherit a family's tendency to have seizures with a fever. Additionally, researchers have linked several genes to a susceptibility to febrile seizures.

When to see a doctor for a seizure?

When to see a doctor. See your child's doctor as soon as possible after your child's first febrile seizure, even if it lasts only a few seconds. Call an ambulance to take your child to the emergency room if the seizure lasts longer than five minutes or is accompanied by: Vomiting. A stiff neck.

Can you take aspirin with chickenpox?

Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 3, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. This is because aspirin has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, in such children.

What is the assessment of treatment strategies for febrile seizures?

Assessment of treatment strategies in febrile seizures should be based on short- and long-term outcomes, with and without acute, intermittent, or chronic medical intervention, as well as short- and long-term side effects.

Does prophylaxis reduce recurrence rate?

Prophylaxis may or may not reduce the recurrence rate, but does not appear to improve the long-term outcome as compared to acute treatment of seizures in progress. All agree that chronic prophylaxis with anti-epileptic agents is justified only in highly selected cases, if at all.

Is febrile epilepsy a benign condition?

Febrile seizures are a benign condition with a normal neurological, motor, intellectual, and cognitive long-term outcome and have a low risk of later epilepsy in most cases. Even many complex febrile seizures have a benign outcome.

How to prevent a febrile seizure?

Prevention. There is no way to prevent the first febrile seizure. In children who already have had one febrile seizure, parents should be taught how to best manage a fever and a seizure if it occurs. Preventing high temperatures will decrease the risk of febrile seizures.

How to treat a seizure in a child?

Observe your child carefully so you can describe the events to your doctor. Keep track of the time. If the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, call 911. After a seizure, call your doctor for advice. Treatment involves reducing the fever and treating whatever is causing the fever.

What causes a seizure in a child?

They are caused by a high fever or by a sudden rise in body temperature. These seizures usually happen at the beginning of an illness, soon after the fever first starts. Febrile seizures affect about 3-5 percent of children. They are most common between ages 6 months and 5 years. What is a seizure?

How to know if you have a seizure?

Signs of a febrile seizure may include: 1 Jerky, twitching movements of the arms and legs 2 Stiffness 3 Rolling eyes 4 Passing out (loss of consciousness) 5 Not responding to voices or touch

Can febrile seizures be harmful?

Also parents should be reassured that febrile seizures are rarely harmful if they last only a few minutes. Some medications may help to prevent more seizures. However, the potential side effects of these drugs may be worse than the benefits. Therefore, they are rarely prescribed.

Can a child have another seizure?

The risk of having another seizure is greater in children: With a family history of febrile seizures. Who had their first seizure when they were younger than 12 months old. Children who have delays in normal development are also more likely to have seizures with fever.

Can febrile seizures cause long term seizures?

Febrile seizures generally are not harmful and do not cause long-term problems. Children with cerebral palsy, developmental delays or certain neurological problems are slightly more likely than other children to develop epilepsy (repeated seizures that are not related to fevers) after febrile seizures.

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