title: Serum sodium levels do not predict recurrence of febrile seizures within 24 hours.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Febrile seizures recur within 24 hours in around 16% of children. Some studies have demonstrated a significant correlation between serum sodium levels and recurrent febrile seizures.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the serum sodium level predicts recurrence of febrile seizures within 24 hours.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was undertaken in children with febrile seizures in the period from January 2007 to December 2011. Retrospective data collected from medical records included age, gender, family history of febrile seizures, body temperature, duration of recognised fever and serum sodium levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  315 children were diagnosed with febrile seizures with a mean (SD) age of 21.7 (12.5) months, and 181 (57.5%) were male. Forty-seven episodes of recurrent febrile seizures within 24 hours occurred in 39 children (12.4%). There was no significant difference in mean (SD) serum sodium levels between the 276 patients with single febrile seizures [134.94 (3.09) mmol/L] and those in whom febrile seizures recurred within 24 hours [134.49 (3.24) mmol/L]. A family history of febrile seizures was a significant predictive risk factor of recurrence within 24 hours (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that serum sodium levels do not predict the recurrence of febrile seizures within 24 hours.
authors.forename: Acharaporn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maksikharin
authors.forename: Olarn
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Prommalikit
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000175:diagnosis*; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012964:Sodium
keywords: Febrile seizures,; Recurrent febrile seizures,; Serum sodium levels