title: Predictors of meningitis in children presenting with first febrile seizures.
abstract: No data exist on the prevalence of meningitis in a first episode of seizures with fever in the Indian population. We investigated the prevalence of bacterial meningitis in children aged 6-18 months presenting with a first episode of seizures with fever, and we assessed clinical predictors of bacterial meningitis in these patients. We analyzed clinical and investigative profiles of 497 children, aged 6-18 months, admitted to pediatric casualty wards with a diagnosis of first febrile seizures. Lumbar puncture was performed in 199 (40.04%) infants. The prevalence of meningitis was 2.4% in children with first febrile seizures, 0.86% in simple febrile seizures, and 4.81% in complex febrile seizures. Duration of seizures more than 30 minutes, the presence of postictal drowsiness, and neurologic deficits were predictive of meningitis, with neurologic deficits as the most reliable. These predictors should be assessed in larger prospective studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences and Associated Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, India. drprernabatra@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Prerna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Batra
authors.forename: Sushan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gomber
authors.forename: Abhijeet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saha
mesh_terms: D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D018401:Sample Size; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000150:complications*; D012894:Sleep Stages; D013129:Spinal Puncture