Evaluation and Management of Simple and Complex Febrile Seizures A CME Web-Based Monograph

Febrile seizures are the most common type of seizure in children. Brief febrile seizures are now thought to be a relatively benign syndrome. While children who have experienced them are slightly more likely than other children to later develop unprovoked seizures and epilepsy, the febrile seizures are most likely a marker for, rather than a cause of, the subsequent seizures. Thus, a history of febrile seizures is present in many individuals who have epilepsy or unprovoked seizures. Prolonged febrile seizures, on the other hand, are less benign and have been linked with acute hippocampal injury and subsequent mesial temporal sclerosis and temporal lobe epilepsy, although the details of the frequency with which this happens are still being investigated. Given that prolonged febrile seizures are of the most concern, the current approach to treating febrile seizures focuses on preventing prolonged febrile seizures. This monograph is designed to review current literature regarding febrile seizures in order to provide physicians with the tools and information needed to make the best decisions for their pediatric patients with febrile seizures.