title: Children with convulsive epileptic seizures presenting to padua pediatric emergency department: the first retrospective population-based descriptive study in an Italian Health District.
abstract: Convulsive epileptic seizures in children represent a common cause of admission to pediatric emergency department. Data about incidence, etiology, and outcome are still lacking in literature. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of children presenting to our pediatric emergency department with convulsive seizures during a 12-month period and collected their diagnoses over the following year. In all, 182 children met the inclusion criteria, for a total of 214 visits (1.2% of all attendances, n = 24 864). Seizures lasted less than 5 minutes in 76%, 5 to 30 minutes in 20%, 30 to 60 minutes in 2%, and over 60 minutes in 2% visits ("early," "established," "refractory," convulsive status epilepticus, respectively). Incidence of "early" (seizure lasting 5-30 minutes) and "established" (seizure lasting 30-60 minutes) status epilepticus was 52/100 000/year and 7/100 000/year respectively. Most common causes were febrile seizures (56%) and remote symptomatic seizures (19%). Knowing the epidemiology of convulsive seizures in children is important to guide appropriate management and individualized follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bergamo
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Emergency Department, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parata
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nosadini
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Clementina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boniver
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Toldo
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Agnese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suppiej
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vecchi
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amigoni
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Emergency Department, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Liviana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Da Dalt
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Emergency Department, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zanconato
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Emergency Department, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perilongo
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Italy stefano.sartori@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sartori
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018672:Community Health Planning; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy
keywords: children; epidemiology; seizure; status epilepticus