Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 26, 2026
Author Spotlight: Advancing Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery in Children Through Novel Biomarkers and Enhanced Localization
Published on: September 20, 2024
Clinicodemographic Profile of Children with Seizures in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Observational
Nagendra Chaudhary1, Murli Manohar Gupta1, Sandeep Shrestha1
1Department of Pediatrics, Universal College of Medical Sciences, Bhairahawa 32900, Nepal.
Insights
Pediatric seizures are a common cause of hospital admission. Neurocysticercosis was the most frequent cause, followed by idiopathic epilepsy and meningoencephalitis in children with seizures.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Seizures are a significant cause of pediatric hospital admissions, associated with considerable mortality and morbidity.
- Understanding the prevalence and clinical characteristics of childhood seizures is crucial for effective healthcare management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and clinicodemographic profile of pediatric seizures in a tertiary care hospital in western Nepal.
- To identify the common etiologies and clinical presentations of seizures in admitted children.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted over two years, including 168 children aged 2 months to 16 years admitted with seizures.
- Data collected included seizure types, clinical complaints, age, sex, and underlying etiologies.
Main Results:
- Seizures were present in 3.4% of admitted children, with a male preponderance.
- Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) were more common (82.1%) than partial seizures (17.9%), with no significant difference by sex or age.
- Neurocysticercosis (43%) was the leading etiology, followed by idiopathic epilepsy (22.6%), meningoencephalitis (15.5%), and febrile convulsions (8.33%).
Conclusions:
- Neurocysticercosis is a primary cause of seizures in children in this region.
- Comprehensive evaluation is needed to identify the etiology of seizures in pediatric admissions.
- Further research into prevention and management strategies for childhood seizures is warranted.
Abstract:
Seizures are one of the common causes for hospital admissions in children with significant mortality and morbidity. This study was conducted to study the prevalence and clinicodemographic profile of children with seizures in a tertiary care hospital of western Nepal. This prospective cross-sectional study conducted over a period of 2 years included all admitted children (2 months-16 years) with seizures. Among 4962 admitted children, seizures were present in 3.4% (n = 168) of children, with male preponderance. 138 (82.1%) children had generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) and 30 (17.9%) children had partial seizures. GTCS were more common than partial seizures in both sexes (male = 82.7%; female = 81.2%) and age groups. There was no statistical significance in the distribution of seizures (GTCS and partial seizures) with sexes (P = 0.813) and age groups (P = 0.955). Mean ages of children having GTCS and partial seizures were 8.2 ± 4.6 years and 8.2 ± 4.2 years, respectively. Loss of consciousness (55.4%), fever (39.9%), vomiting (35.1%), and headache (16.1%) were common complaints in seizure patients. Significant number of GTCS cases had fever (P = 0.041) and neurocysticercosis (n = 72; 43%) was the most common etiology in seizure patients. Idiopathic epilepsy (38 (22.6%)), meningoencephalitis (26 (15.5%)), and febrile convulsions (14 (8.33%)) were other leading disorders in children with seizures.
More Related Videos
10:22Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy
Published on: December 6, 2016
10:46Author Spotlight: Obtaining High-Quality CSF and Blood Samples for Epilepsy Biomarker Discovery
Published on: September 1, 2023
Related Concept Videos
01:13Seizures: Classification
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types:
01:24Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...