J Korean Child Neurol Soc.  2003 Nov;11(2):316-321.

A Role of Routine Lumbar Puncture in Children Presented with Their First Seizure with Fever

• Lim JH
• SaKong Y
• Lee KW
• Bae SN
• Nam SO

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study was performed to find out the role of routine lumbar puncture in children presented with their first seizure with Fever.
METHODS
This study included 220 children, over a 5 year period, from April 1999 to March 2003, who visited or were admitted at Dae Dong Hospital with their first febrile convulsion. Lumbar puncture was performed in all children. We analyzed their age, family history, type of seizure, duration of seizure, cause of fever, and the results of lumbar puncture.
RESULTS
In the sex distribution, males(58.6%) outnumbered females(41.4%) and the ratio was 1.2:1. 81.7% of the patients had febrile convulsion from 6 months- to 3 years of age(P<0.05). 30.5% also had family history of febrile convulsion. The types of seizure were generalized tonic-clonic(72.7%), generalized tonic(17.7%), and generalized clonic(6.4 %). For the duration of seizure, 90.4% of the patients were estimated less than 15 minutes(P<0.05). The causes of fever were pharyngotonsilitis(40.5%), gastroenteritis(19.1 %), pneumonia or bronchitis(13.2%), meningitis(11%), otitis media, urinary tract infection, and exanthem subitum. However, 9.1% of the patients were diagnosed meningitis, with 18 of 20 patients under 3 years of age.
CONCLUSION
In the first seizure with fever, lumbar puncture is a useful method for meningitis, especially under 3 years of age.

Keyword

Convulsion with fever; Lumbar puncture

MeSH Terms

Child*
Exanthema
Fever*
Humans
Meningitis
Otitis Media
Pneumonia
Seizures*
Seizures, Febrile
Sex Distribution
Spinal Puncture*
Urinary Tract Infections