Comparative Study between Febrile Convulsions and Benign Convulsions Associated with Viral Gastroenteritis

This study was performed to compare the clinical features between febrile convulsions and benign convulsions associated with viral gastroenteritis.

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 706 children admitted to the Sunlin Hospital for either febrile convulsions or benign convulsions with viral gastroenteritis, between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2009. We classified them into group A for febrile convulsions (N = 631), group B for non-rotavirus gastroenteritis (N = 43) and group C for rotavirus gastroenteritis (N = 32). Then we analyzed and compared the characteristics between the three groups.

The mean ages (± SD) of group A, B and C were 28.3 ± 17.9, 21.2 ± 22.0, and 22.0 ± 18.7 months, respectively. Group A admissions were prevalent in the spring, and group C admissions were prevalent in the winter. There was a family history of febrile convulsions in 55.6% of group A patients, 46.5% of group B patients, and 34.4% of group C patients. Cluster convulsions during hospitalization were observed more in group B and group C than in group A (23.3%, and 18.8% vs. 6.3%, p < 0.01). In afebrile convulsions with diarrhea, recurrence occurred in 33.3% of patients, while recurrence occurred in only 10.3% in febrile cases (p = 0.015).

All studied groups showed favorable prognoses. However, the groups differed in the following characteristics: distribution of the month of admission, age, the family history of febrile convulsions, fever occurrence, and recurrence. In afebrile convulsions with gastroenteritis, cluster convulsions were more likely to occur within 24 h from admission.