The relationship between drug treatment and the clinical characteristics of febrile seizures.
BACKGROUND
Drugs such as theophylline, antihistamines, and antiallergics with anti-histaminic actions have been shown to induce febrile seizures. The relationship between febrile seizures and medications has not been actively investigated. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the clinical characteristics of febrile seizures and the use of medications.


METHODS
Two hundred and sixty-five children treated at our emergency room due to febrile seizures were studied to investigate the relationship between the clinical characteristics of febrile seizures, such as the type and duration of convulsions, and the drug treatment.


RESULTS
The duration of convulsions was longer among children who took theophylline and antihistamines than among children who did not take these medications. Of the antihistamines, mequitazine did not prolong the duration of convulsion.


CONCLUSIONS
Theophylline should not be used in febrile children, particularly infants. Cautions should be taken in using histamine H1 antagonists in young infants because such drugs could potentially disturb the anticonvulsive central histaminergic system. However, mequitazine appears to be a suitable antihistamine for use in children with febrile seizures, since it does not prolong convulsions.
Haruyama
Wakako
W
Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Nihon University School of Medicine, Japan.
Fuchigami
Tatsuo
T
Noguchi
Yukio
Y
Endo
Ayumi
A
Hashimoto
Koji
K
Inamo
Yasuji
Y
Fujita
Yukihiko
Y
Takahashi
Shigeru
S
Mugishima
Hideo
H
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000075202:Contraindications; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010640:Phenothiazines; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000139:chemically induced*; D013806:Theophylline; D013997:Time Factors
D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D010640:Phenothiazines; D013806:Theophylline; C006069:mequitazine