Muhammad Saeed, Tahir Nadeem, Samir M Al Nufiee.
Is lumbar puncture necessary among children with first febrile seizure?.
Pak Paed J Jan ;35(3):145-8.

Objective: The objective of this study was to find out the frequency of meningitis among children who present with first febrile seizure. Study design: A retrospective record review of the patients from 6 months to 5 years of age who presented with first febrile seizure and evaluated for CSF at Children’s hospital Taif, KSA. Methodology: All patients who presented to emergency department with first febrile seizure, from January 2008 to May 2011, from 6 months to 5 years age were studied. Lumbar puncture was performed in all cases. Results: A total of 272 patients were studied. 165 cases (61%) were male and 107(39%) were female. All patients underwent lumbar puncture, of whom 6(2%) had abnormal CSF findings suggestive of meningitis. Thus meningitis was diagnosed in 2% of children with first febrile seizure. Conclusions: Our results indicate that proportion of meningitis was very low in children presenting with first febrile seizure. We suggest that by practicing meticulous clinical examination and close monitoring, it is possible to avoid unnecessary lumbar puncture in these patients.

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