Risk Factors of Febrile Status Epilepticus

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the risk factors of febrile status epilepticus (FSE) in children. MATERIALS & METHODS: This analytic case-control study was conducted on all patients’ records with first febrile seizure (FS) admitted to 17 Shahrivar Hospital, Rasht, Iran during 2007-2014. Cases were children aged 6 to 60 months with FSE and controls were children with complex and simple FS. Data were gathered using a checklist including age, sex, type of milk consuming during first year, temperature, the interval between fever and seizure, family history of epilepsy and febrile seizure, and prematurity. Data were analyzed using Chi-square in SPSS 19. RESULTS: Overall, 756 patients with FS participated including 39 patients with FSE, 194 complex febrile seizure (CFC) and 523 simple febrile seizure (SFC). Most of the patients (57.8%) experienced seizure with low-grade fever (<39 °C). The mean age in SFC group was significantly higher than FSE patients (P<0.05). A significant relation was noted between groups regarding body temperature during seizure (P=0.006), family history of FS (0.029), family history of epilepsy (P=0.042) and the premature birth (P=0.023). Significant relation was noted between FSE and CFC groups regarding body temperature during seizure (P=0.004), family history of FS (0.011), family history of epilepsy (P=0.037), and the premature birth (P=0.025) between FSE and CFC groups. CONCLUSION: Considering risk factors of FSE including low body temperature, lower age, family history of FS and epilepsy, and premature birth is mandatory.