EEG CHANGES IN ACUTE FEBRILE FITS WITHIN 72 HOURS IN CHILDREN AGED 6 MONTHS TO 6 YEARS

Abstract

Objective To determine EEG changes within 72 hours of febrile seizures in children aged 6 months to 6 years presenting to a tertiary care hospital. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karach over a period of 6 months. A total of 150 children with febrile seizures presenting within 72 hours of seizure onset were enrolled using non-probability consecutive sampling. EEG was performed within 72 hours and interpreted by a pediatric neurologist. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Independent sample t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Chi-square test were used where appropriate, with p ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results The mean age of participants was 38.36 ± 18.21 months, and 59.3% were female. Simple febrile seizures were observed in 72.0% of children, while 28.0% had complex febrile seizures. EEG abnormalities were detected in 28 (18.7%) patients. No significant association was found between abnormal EEG findings and age (p = 0.609), seizure duration (p = 0.133), seizure type (p = 0.532), or gender (p = 1.000). Conclusion EEG abnormalities were present in a minority of children with febrile seizures. Most EEG recordings were normal, and no significant relationship was observed between EEG abnormalities and major clinical characteristics. Routine EEG may therefore have limited value in children with uncomplicated febrile seizures.