Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Making MR Imaging Child's Play - Pediatric Neuroimaging Protocol, Guidelines and Procedure
15:18

Making MR Imaging Child's Play - Pediatric Neuroimaging Protocol, Guidelines and Procedure

Published on: July 30, 2009

Practice parameters in child neurology: do pediatricians use them?

James F Bale1, Deirdre A Caplin, Jaime D Bruse

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. james.bale@hsc.utah.edu

Journal of Child Neurology
|March 20, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Pediatricians often lack awareness of guidelines for evaluating first-time seizures in children. Many do not follow evidence-based practices, leading to variable and sometimes unnecessary testing for pediatric seizure management.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Clinical Practice Guidelines
  • Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

  • Pediatric seizures are common, necessitating clear diagnostic and management protocols.
  • Established practice parameters guide the evaluation of first-time seizures in children.
  • Adherence to these parameters ensures optimal and cost-effective patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess pediatrician awareness of the practice parameter for evaluating the first non-febrile seizure in children.
  • To determine how these evidence-based concepts are integrated into clinical practice.
  • To identify potential gaps in the application of established seizure management guidelines.

Main Methods:

  • A pilot study surveyed pediatricians regarding their knowledge of a specific practice parameter.
  • A clinical scenario of an 8-year-old with a first unprovoked seizure was presented.
  • Physicians' intended diagnostic workups, including imaging and laboratory tests, were recorded.

Main Results:

  • Only 40% of pediatricians were aware of the practice parameter for first non-febrile seizures.
  • Management approaches for the presented scenario were highly variable among respondents.
  • A majority ordered electroencephalography (83%) and imaging (58%), but many also ordered non-indicated laboratory studies.

Conclusions:

  • Significant gaps exist in pediatrician awareness and application of practice parameters for pediatric seizures.
  • Evidence-based recommendations for evaluating new-onset seizures in children may not be consistently incorporated into practice.
  • Further education and dissemination of clinical guidelines are needed to improve the management of pediatric seizures.

More Related Videos

A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy10:02

A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy

Published on: November 3, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses a challenge in...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight, compared...
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...