Clinico-etiological profile of children admitted with seizures to a tertiary care hospital – A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Seizures are one of the common causes of hospitalization in children causing significant morbidity and mortality. Objective: The objective of the study was to study the clinico-etiological profile of children admitted with seizures. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 120 children admitted with seizures to the pediatric ward and pediatric intensive care unit of a teaching hospital over a period of 12 months. Clinically relevant history, demographic data, and laboratory investigations were obtained. Electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were done based on the clinical situation. Results: The sex-wise distribution of children showed an overall male predominance (male:female=1.3:1). The occurrence of convulsions was highest (60%) in the age group of 1–5 years. The majority of children had (81.7%) generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Febrile seizures (46.7%) were found to be the most common cause of seizures in children. This was followed by a seizure disorder in 19.2% and cerebral palsy in 15% of them. Conclusion: The etiology of seizures was identified in almost 94% of the cases through a detailed history, physical examination, laboratory workup, and with EEG and MRI studies as indicated. Thus, a thorough evaluation is recommended in every child presenting with seizures to understand the clinico-demographic profile and the etiology of seizures in children.