Simple Febrile Seizures: A New Guideline

Febrile Seizures: Guideline for the Neurodiagnostic Evaluation of the Child With a Simple Febrile Seizure
Subcommittee on Febrile Seizure

Pediatrics 2011;127;389.

A febrile seizure is a seizure that is accompanied by fever, but not CNS infection, in a child aged 6 through 60 months. 

Simple febrile seizures are primary generalized seizures that last for less than 15 minutes and do not recur within 24 hours.

• Lumbar puncture (LP) should be performed only in a child with a seizure, fever, and signs of meningitis (Evidence level B: overwhelming evidence from observational studies).

• LP is an option in any child aged 6 to 12 months with a simple febrile seizure if immunization status is unknown or insufficient for Haemophilus influenzae type b or Streptococcus pneumoniae (Evidence level D: expert opinion, case reports).

• LP is an option in a child with a simple febrile seizure who has received antibiotics (Evidence level D).

• EEG should not be performed in an otherwise neurologically healthy child with a simple febrile seizure (Evidence level B).

• Serum electrolytes, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, blood glucose, and CBC should not be performed routinely to identify the cause of a simple febrile seizure (Evidence level B).

• Neuroimaging should not be done routinely after simple febrile seizures (Evidence level B).