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I.INTRODUCTION

A seizure describes a brain dysfunction that occurs when the normal electrical

impulses in the brain become disrupted. Although many interchange the terms epilepsyand seizure, they are not the same condition. Patients with epilepsy have seizures, but

patients with a seizure do not necessarily have epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a fairly common medical condition, which affects the victim

neurologically, and results in seizures. This is not only a one time episode. Seizures can

occur at any point in time and without warning. A seizure is not epilepsy but, a

consequence of epilepsy, or a symptom.

Febrile seizures are the most common seizure disorder in young children. Though

they have been described since the time of Hippocrates, it was not until the middle of

the last century that these seizures were recognized as a separate syndrome distinct

from epilepsy. It is defined as seizure occurring in neurologically healthy children under

the age of five years which are precipitated by fever arising from infection outside the

central nervous system. This definition does not include children whose seizures are

caused by a CNS infection, such as meningitis or encephalitis (symptomatic seizures), or

those who have had a previous afebrile seizure or central nervous system abnormality(secondary febrile seizures).

Fortunately, febrile seizures aren't as dangerous as they may look. A seizure

triggered by a fever is usually harmless and typically doesn't indicate a long-term or

ongoing problem.

The incidence of febrile seizure is 2-5% of all children, with a peak between 6

months to 3 years (94% of cases). 6% of cases occur after 3 years, and 4% of cases

occur before 6 months which gives the reason why some books prefer to use 3 months

(not 6 months) as a lower border for the age of febrile seizure.

Generally, seizure recur once in 1/3 (33%) of cases with a 10% chance of

developing multiple recurrence, especially in the first year of diagnosis (75% of

recurrence). Febrile seizures recur in 50% of children who have their first febrile seizure at

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younger than 1 year of age and 20% (Nelson: 28%) of children who have their first

seizure at older than one year of age, there are other factors known to influence

recurrent febrile seizure.

The risk of developing epilepsy/afebrile seizure is 2-3 times greater than otherchildren (2-5%), up to 25 years there is a risk to develop epilepsy. The risk is increased

many folds with family history, complex Febrile Seizure, pre-existing neurological

development abnormality. Other risk factors include young age (

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The child may vomit or bite the tongue. Sometimes children do not breathe, and may

begin to turn blue.

A simple febrile seizure stops by itself within a few seconds to 10 minutes. It is

usually followed by a brief period of drowsiness or confusion. A complex febrile seizure

lasts longer than 15 minutes, is in just one part of the body, or occurs again during the

same illness.

New Study Suggests dated January 2010 that most babies with uncomplicated

febrile seizures can avoid Spinal Tap. When babies develop a fever high enough or

abrupt enough to cause a seizure, frightened parents often rush them to the

emergency room, where their workup frequently includes a lumbar puncture (spinal

tap) to rule out bacterial meningitis. Now, in the largest study to date, researchers at

Children's Hospital Boston find that this uncomfortable procedure is probably not

necessary in well-appearing children who have had a simple febrile seizure.

Lumbar puncture requires local anesthesia and often sedation. Yet, It is a safe

procedure with an extremely low rate of complications. But it's a needle and it's not

fun. We're trying not to do it unless it's absolutely necessary., the researchers

mentioned.

However, the researchers caution that their findings don't necessarily extend to

patients with complex febrile seizures, patients with concerning symptoms or signs, or

patients who have an underlying illness. Lumbar puncture should be considered based

on clinical presentation, rather than being done routinely and if a child appears very ill,

is lethargic, fussy, non-responsive, has neurologic symptoms, or has certain clinical signs

(such as a certain type of rash or a bulging fontanelle), lumbar puncture should be

considered no matter how old the child is. (Children's Hospital Boston (2009, January 6).

Most Babies With Uncomplicated Febrile Seizures Can Avoid Spinal Tap, New StudySuggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 19, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com-

/releases/2009/01/090106154414.htm)

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Since they had a few ideas about seizure in their NCM 105, it gives them an

opportunity to study the actual illness that they had just discussed. It arouses the critical

mind of the group on the unidentified process of occurrence of febrile seizures and

how the parents of the patient take action to deal emotionally with this illness. Through

the course of the study, the group wants to be familiarized themselves on the different

causative factors and treatment of the disease for them to become more efficient in

rendering proper care and service to their patient. In addition, they may equip

themselves with the proper knowledge regarding the disease and its processes,

enhance their skills with the proper management of the patient's condition and

provide interventions to prevent from occurring or reoccur. Lastly, this study can serve

as a future reference for upcoming studies with the same condition.