Updated AAP clinical practice guidelines on febrile seizures

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) publishes updated practice guidelines on simple febrile seizures, in the January 31 issue of  Pediatrics. Following a comprehensive review of the evidence based literature from 1996 to February 2009, the AAP have published updated guidelines on simple febrile seizures which replaces the 1996 practice statndards.

The recommendations stresses the importance of identifying the etiology in children presenting with fever. A lumbar puncutre should be performed if there are any signs or symptoms concerning meningitis. In infants between 6 and 12 months, who are unimmunized or in whose vaccination status is unclear, a lumbar puncture should be considered. The guidelines also suggest that a lumbar puncture should be considered where the child had already received antibiotics. Simple febrile seizures do not normally require any further investigations particularly EEG or neuroimaging.

Subcommittee on Febrile Seizures. Neurodiagnostic evaluation of the child with a simple febrile seizure. Pediatrics. 2011 Feb;127(2):389-94. PubMed PMID:
21285335. [ Free Full Text]