Yield of lumbar puncture among children who present with their first complex febrile seizure.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the rate of acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) among children who present with their first complex febrile seizure (CFS).


METHODS
This study was a retrospective, cohort review of patients aged 6 to 60 months who were evaluated in a pediatric emergency department (ED) between 1995 and 2008 for their first CFS. Cases were identified by using a computerized text search followed by a manual chart review. Exclusion criteria included prior history of nonfebrile seizures, an immunocompromised state, an underlying illness associated with seizures or altered mental status, or trauma. Data extracted included age, gender, seizure features, the number of previous simple febrile seizures, temperature, a family history of seizures, findings on physical examination, laboratory and imaging study results, and ED diagnosis and disposition.


RESULTS
We identified 526 patients. The median age was 17 months (interquartile range: 13-24), and 44% were female. Ninety patients (17%) had a previous history of simple febrile seizures. Of the patients, 340 (64%) had a lumbar puncture (LP). The patients' median white blood cell count during a CFS was 1 cell per microL (interquartile range: 1-2), and 14 patients had CSF pleocytosis (2.7% [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.5-4.5]). Three patients had ABM (0.9% [95% CI: 0.2-2.8]). Two had Streptococcus pneumoniae in a culture of their cerebrospinal fluid. Among these 2 patients, 1 was nonresponsive during presentation, and the other had a bulging fontanel and apnea. The third child appeared well; however, her blood culture grew S pneumoniae and failed the LP test. None of the patients for whom an LP was not attempted subsequently returned to the hospital with a diagnosis of ABM (0% [95% CI: 0, 0.9]).


CONCLUSIONS
Few patients who experienced a CFS had ABM in the absence of other signs or symptoms.
Kimia
Amir
A
Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA 02115, USA. amir.kimia@childrens.harvard.edu
Ben-Joseph
Elana Pearl
EP
Rudloe
Tiffany
T
Capraro
Andrew
A
Sarco
Dean
D
Hummel
David
D
Johnston
Patrick
P
Harper
Marvin B
MB
D017677:Age Distribution; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013129:Spinal Puncture / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants