[Complex febrile crises: should we change the way we act?]

Febrile seizures are one of the most frequent reasons why patients visit the healthcare specialist. Up until now, patients with complex febrile seizures (CFS) have been hospitalised, bearing in mind the higher percentages of epilepsy and acute complications that were classically reported. Today there are studies that back the idea of being less invasive in the management of these patients. AIMS. To describe the characteristics of patients hospitalised due to CFS and to propose a new protocol to be followed in dealing with such cases.

The medical records of patients hospitalised because of CFS (January 2010-December 2013) were analysed retrospectively. Epidemiological and clinical data are presented, together with information from complementary tests and about development.

CFS account for 4.2% of all neuropaediatric cases of admittance to hospital in (67 patients). Mean age at the time of the event: 25 months. A pathological family history existed in 47% of cases, and 31% had a previous personal history of febrile seizures. The CFS lasted less than five minutes in 54% of patients; there were also recurrences, most of them with a total of two crises and during the first day (CFS due to recurrence are the most frequent). None of the complementary tests that were carried out were of any use as a diagnostic aid during the acute phase. During their follow-up, five patients presented complications. Patients with a family history of febrile seizures presented a higher risk of epilepsy or recurrence (p = 0.02), with no significant differences as regards age, number of seizures, febrile interval, epileptic status or type of CFS.

The CFS are not associated with greater acute complications, and the complementary examinations do not allow high-risk patients to be distinguished at an early stage. Hospitalising them could be avoided in the absence of other clinical signs and symptoms, and thus be limited to selected cases.