title: Risk factors for apnea in children presenting with out-of-hospital seizure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to quantify risk factors for apnea in children 0 to 5 years of age with out-of-hospital seizure.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study of pediatric patients with seizure transported by paramedics to the pediatric emergency department (PED) of a tertiary center from July 2008 to June 2009. Patients with traumatic injury and those with another diagnosis after PED evaluation were excluded. We evaluated the effect of field diazepam and other potential risk factors on the occurrence of apnea, defined as the need for airway management, that is, bag-mask ventilation by paramedics or bag-mask ventilation or intubation by PED staff within 30 minutes of arrival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 336 pediatric patients meeting inclusion criteria. The median age was 1.9 years (interquartile range,1.3-3.0 years); 193 patients (57%) were male. Fifty-four patients (16%) were treated with diazepam before PED arrival. There were 28 apneic events (8.3%). The adjusted relative risk for apnea given diazepam in the field by any route was 10.2 (95% confidence interval, 3.9-21.8; P < 0.0001), adjusted for age and seizure on arrival. Persistent seizure on PED arrival was also highly associated with apnea, with an adjusted relative risk of 15.8 (95% confidence interval, 6.5-28.9; P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Field treatment with diazepam and seizing at the time of PED arrival are associated with the occurrence of apnea in children 0 to 5 years of age with out-of-hospital seizure. Larger studies are needed to determine what other factors may contribute to this risk.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center; and †Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA, Torrance; ‡David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles; §International Medical Corps, Santa Monica; and ∥Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena, CA.
authors.forename: Nichole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bosson
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Khodabakhsh
authors.forename: Amy H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kaji
authors.forename: Jumie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Squire
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gausche-Hill
mesh_terms: D058109:Airway Management; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001049:Apnea / Q000209:etiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003975:Diazepam / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012640:Seizures / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D003975:Diazepam