Febrile Seizures

A febrile seizure is a fever-associated seizure in a child aged 6 months through 5 years without central nervous system infection, a previous afebrile seizure, or another acute cause. Fever can provoke a seizure in a susceptible developing brain; the event does not, by itself, establish epilepsy. Classification depends on the observed pattern, duration, and recurrence: - Simple: generalized movements, duration less than 15 minutes, and only one seizure in a 24-hour period. - Complex: any focal feature, duration of 15 minutes or longer, or more than one seizure in 24 hours. A seizure with fever in an infant younger than 6 months falls outside the usual febrile-seizure age range. Activate emergency services immediately and notify the RN and prescriber or most responsible clinician immediately so that another cause can be assessed.