Renal Function in Children with Febrile Convulsions

OBJECTIVE: Febrile convulsions (FC) are the most frequent seizure disorder in children. Some studies have detected serum electrolyte disturbances in patients with FC. This study determines serum electrolytes, renal function tests, and frequency of urinary tract infection in hospitalized children with FC. MATERIALS & METHODS: In this descriptive, cross sectional study, we evaluated 291 children with FC admitted to the Neurology ward of Ali-Asghar Children’s Hospital from 2008– 2013. Data was recorded on age, sex, type (simple, complex), and recurrence of seizures, family history of FC and epilepsy, serum electrolytes, renal function tests, and urinary tract infections. RESULTS: A total of 291 patients with diagnosis of FC were admitted to our center. Of these 291 patients, 181 (62.2%) were male. The mean age was 24.4 ± 14.6 months. There were simple, complex, and recurrent FCs in 215 (73.9%), 76 (26.1%) and 61 (21%) of patients, respectively. Urinary tract infections (UTI) were found in 13 (4.5%) patients, more present in females (p-value = 0.03) and under 12 months of age (p-value = 0.003). Hyponatremia, hypocalcemia, and hypokalemia was detected in 32 (11%), 16 (5.5%), and 4 (1.4%) of cases, respectively. Twentyfour (8.2%) patients had a glomerular filtration rate less than 60 ml/min/1.73m2. There were no abnormalities in serum magnesium, BUN, and creatinine levels. CONCLUSION: During FCs, mild changes may occur in renal function but a serum electrolyte evaluation is not necessary unless patients are dehydrated. In children with FC, urinary tract infections should be ruled out.