Kisito Nagalo

Febrile Convulsions in Infants at the Pediatrics University Hospital Center Charles de Gaulle of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

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.