Factors associated with seizure severity among children with epilepsy in Northern Nigeria

To describe how seizure severity in children with epilepsy may be affected by certain socio-demographic and clinical variables.

A cross-sectional study.

At the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Nigeria.

Sixty children and adolescents who were being followed up for seizure disorder at the child neurology clinic.

Information on socio-demographic characteristics was obtained with a questionnaire, details of neurological co-morbidities were extracted from the participants' records, and seizure severity was assessed with the National Hospital Seizure Severity Score 3 tool.

Chi-square test was used to establish the relationship between categorical variables, while the Independent t-test was used in describing the differences between means. Simple linear regression was calculated to assess the predictability of seizure severity.

The median age was ten years (IQR = 6-13 years), with a male dominance (1.5:1). The Seizure Severity Score (SSS) ranged between 3 and 24 units, with a mean of 12.22 ± 4.29 units. The only characteristic that had a significant association with SSS on bivariate analysis was the "presence of co-morbidities" (p=0.019). A simple linear regression revealed that the presence of a neurological co-morbidity predicted an increase in the SSS by 2.67 units. [R2 = 0.091, F (1, 58)= 5.837, p = 0.019. β = 2.67, t= 2.42, p= 0.019.].

This study shows that neurological co-morbidities predict worsening seizure severity. This knowledge may influence prognostication and the charting of a treatment trajectory.

No external funding.