A febrile seizure is an event in infancy or childhood, usually occurring between three months and five years of age, associated with fever but without evidence of intracranial infection or defined cause. Seizures with fever in children who have suffered a previous nonfebrile seizure are excluded. Febrile seizures are to be distinguished from epilepsy, which is characterized by recurrent nonfebrile seizures. (Consensus Statement On Febrile Seizures, 1980)

There are three types of febrile seizures :

• A simple febrile seizure is characterized by shorter duration (lasting less than 15 minutes), no focal features (meaning the shaking is general rather than restricted to a part of the body such as an arm or leg), and if they do occur in series, the total duration is less than 30 minutes (classically a generalized tonic-clonic seizure).
• A generalized febrile seizure, also known as a complex febrile seizure, is one in which the seizure lasts longer than 15 minutes or multiple episodes occur within 24 hours and generally does have focal features.
• A febrile status epilepticus is a febrile seizure that lasts for longer than 30 minutes. It can occur in up to 5% of febrile seizure cases.

A febrile seizure may be as mild as the child's eyes rolling or limbs stiffening. A simple febrile seizure stops by itself within a few seconds to 10 minutes. It is often followed by a brief period of drowsiness or confusion.

Febrile seizures may begin with the sudden tightening (contraction) of muscles on both sides of a child's body.

• The child may cry or moan.
• The muscle tightening may last for several seconds, or longer.
• The child will fall, if standing, and may pass urine.
• The child may vomit or bite the tongue.
• Sometimes children do not breathe, and may begin to turn blue.
• The child's body may then begin to jerk rhythmically. The child will not respond to the parent's voice.

A seizure that lasts longer than 15 minutes, is in just one part of the body, or occurs again during the same illness is not a normal febrile seizure.



Nursing Diagnosis for Febrile Seizures

1. Fever (hyperthermia) related to the pyrogens that disrupt the thermostat, the average increase metabolism and dehydration disease.
2. Risk for ineffective airway clearance related to neuromuscular damage and obstruction tracheo broncial.
3. Knowledge deficit: family re; ated to misinterpretation and lack of information.
4. Risk for injury or trauma related to weakness, altered consciousness.
5. Disorders of self-concept (low self esteem) related to epilepsy and wrong perceptions and uncontrolled.

Nursing Diagnosis and Interventions for Febrile Convulsion