Biomaterial Database

Factors triggering the first febrile seizure. 1995

H Rantala, and M Uhari, and J Hietala

Department of Paediatrics, University of Oulu, Finland.

The symptomatology of infections as well as immunological and virological findings were analysed using a logistic model in a survey of 58 children experiencing their first febrile seizures. These were then compared with findings in 116 age- and sex-matched controls with infections but no seizures. There were no statistically significant differences in the aetiology of infections between patients and controls. High temperature was the only variable to explain the occurrence of febrile seizures in the logistic model after adjusting for duration of symptoms (partial correlation coefficient in logistic model, r = 0.31). The duration of symptoms before hospitalization was shorter in patients than in controls (mean 1.0 and 3.6 days). With a longer duration of symptoms, the likelihood of seizures diminished (r = -0.34). Patients in the seizure group had a significantly higher temperature at home than controls before hospitalization (39.4 versus 38.8 degrees C). Our findings of higher temperatures in children with febrile seizures supports its importance as the most important triggering factor in febrile convulsions.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D001831	Body Temperature	The measure of the level of heat of a human or animal.	Organ Temperature,Body Temperatures,Organ Temperatures,Temperature, Body,Temperature, Organ,Temperatures, Body,Temperatures, Organ
D003294	Seizures, Febrile	Seizures that occur during a febrile episode. It is a common condition, affecting 2-5% of children aged 3 months to five years. An autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance has been identified in some families. The majority are simple febrile seizures (generally defined as generalized onset, single seizures with a duration of less than 30 minutes). Complex febrile seizures are characterized by focal onset, duration greater than 30 minutes, and/or more than one seizure in a 24 hour period. The likelihood of developing epilepsy (i.e., a nonfebrile seizure disorder) following simple febrile seizures is low. Complex febrile seizures are associated with a moderately increased incidence of epilepsy. (From Menkes, Textbook of Child Neurology, 5th ed, p784)	Convulsions, Febrile,Febrile Seizures,Pyrexial Seizure,Febrile Convulsion Seizure,Febrile Fit,Fever Convulsion,Fever Seizure,Pyrexial Convulsion,Seizure, Febrile, Complex,Seizure, Febrile, Simple,Convulsion, Febrile,Convulsion, Fever,Convulsion, Pyrexial,Convulsions, Fever,Convulsions, Pyrexial,Febrile Convulsion,Febrile Convulsion Seizures,Febrile Convulsions,Febrile Fits,Febrile Seizure,Fever Convulsions,Fever Seizures,Fit, Febrile,Fits, Febrile,Pyrexial Convulsions,Pyrexial Seizures,Seizure, Febrile,Seizure, Febrile Convulsion,Seizure, Fever,Seizure, Pyrexial,Seizures, Febrile Convulsion,Seizures, Fever,Seizures, Pyrexial
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001424	Bacterial Infections	Infections by bacteria, general or unspecified.	Bacterial Disease,Bacterial Infection,Infection, Bacterial,Infections, Bacterial,Bacterial Diseases
D013997	Time Factors	Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.	Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D014777	Virus Diseases	A general term for diseases caused by viruses.	Viral Diseases,Viral Infections,Virus Infections,Disease, Viral,Disease, Virus,Diseases, Viral,Diseases, Virus,Infection, Viral,Infection, Virus,Infections, Viral,Infections, Virus,Viral Disease,Viral Infection,Virus Disease,Virus Infection
D016015	Logistic Models	Statistical models which describe the relationship between a qualitative dependent variable (that is, one which can take only certain discrete values, such as the presence or absence of a disease) and an independent variable. A common application is in epidemiology for estimating an individual's risk (probability of a disease) as a function of a given risk factor.	Logistic Regression,Logit Models,Models, Logistic,Logistic Model,Logistic Regressions,Logit Model,Model, Logistic,Model, Logit,Models, Logit,Regression, Logistic,Regressions, Logistic