Recognizing pediatric febrile convulsions

  Pediatric febrile convulsions are the most common pediatric emergency, associated with a sudden rise in body temperature. They are mostly seen in children aged 6 months to 3 years, slightly more in boys than in girls, and mostly occur at the beginning of diseases such as upper respiratory tract infections, when the body temperature rises suddenly to 38.5 to 40°C, they are prone to sudden convulsions; most of them do not have further attacks after the age of 5. If a child has a convulsion at home, parents should know how to deal with the emergency.  In case of a convulsion at home, please keep in mind the three steps: First, parents should not panic, do not shake the child or try to tap the child to stimulate him to wake up, but let him lie quietly.  The second step is to quickly make the child lie flat, untie the collar and tilt the head to one side to prevent the inhalation of secretions from the mouth and nose into the trachea. A handkerchief or gauze wrapped toothbrush handle can be placed between the child’s upper and lower incisors to prevent biting the tongue. Be careful to prevent bed fall or trauma during convulsions.  The third step is to measure the body temperature in time, especially when the hands and feet are cold and chills are obvious. If there is high fever, take medicine (preferably with antipyretic suppositories, which cannot be swallowed during convulsions) or physical cooling in time.  In addition, give fresh air; pay attention to proper insulation in winter.  After the child stops convulsing and wakes up, send him/her to hospital for further examination. If the convulsions are longer, or if the child is still unconscious after the convulsions have stopped, he/she should be sent to the hospital for resuscitation in time. In the case of pediatric convulsions, attention should be paid to the child’s face and breathing, how the convulsions behave, whether they are general or localized, whether they are convulsions or tremors, how long they last, and whether there are other accompanying symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea, so that they can be properly conveyed to the doctor during the consultation.  How to prevent febrile convulsions: 1. If the child has a history of febrile convulsions, the home should be equipped with antipyretics and also Valium or Luminal tablets (allergic people taking Luminal are prone to allergic rash). The first 24 hours of the initial fever, when the body temperature rises suddenly, are particularly prone to febrile convulsions. If the child’s hands and feet are cold, even if the body temperature is only 38.0°C, take Valium tablets to prevent convulsions.  2, active antipyretic: children who have had febrile convulsions in the cold, parents should closely observe the changes in their body temperature, once the body temperature reaches 38 ℃ or more with cold hands and feet, should be actively antipyretic.  3, improve immunity: strengthen nutrition, regular outdoor activities to enhance physical fitness, improve resistance. If necessary, use some drugs to improve immune function under the guidance of doctors.  4, prevention of colds: when the weather changes, add and remove clothes at the right time to avoid getting cold; try not to go to public places, places with a large number of mobile people, such as supermarkets, stations, cinemas, etc., to avoid being infected with colds; if adults at home have colds, they need to wear masks and have less contact with children as much as possible; open windows from time to time every day to keep the air circulating at home.  5, the correct application of anticonvulsant drugs: 1) intermittent use of anticonvulsant drugs: that is, usually do not use drugs, only at the beginning of each febrile illness, when the body temperature rises to 38.0 ℃, immediately rectal injection of Valium solution or oral Valium, but also available Valium suppositories; 2) long-term use of anticonvulsant drugs: more than five episodes of febrile convulsions per year, each episode of febrile convulsions lasting more than 30 minutes (2) long-term anticonvulsant drugs: for children with more than 5 episodes of febrile convulsions per year and each febrile convulsion lasts for more than 30 minutes, under the guidance of a doctor, long-term anticonvulsant drugs can be taken, while paying attention to adverse drug reactions.