Abstract

Objective: Since management of different seizure types are different, it was deemed necessary to classify the cases presenting with seizures. Patients who admitted to our hospital for the first time with seizures were evaluated.

Methods: The study was conducted prospectively in children aged 1 month-18 years, who admitted to our hospital for the first time of seizures, within a year. We evaluated the cases for the seizure types, causes, accompanying risk factors, prognosis, history, electroencephalography records, brain magnetic resonance imaging findings and drug treatments applied to patients.

Results: A total of 138 cases, 55 (39.9%) female, were included in the study. The mean age of the cases was 41.9±4.3 months. Sixty (43.5%) cases were febrile seizures, 55 (39.9%) untriggered seizures, eight central nervous system infections, six trauma, four metabolic problems, four fever-triggered seizures, and three seizures due to intoxication. There were correlations between seizure recurrence and age less than 72 months (p=0.042), male gender (p=0.034), abnormal electroencephalography (p<0.01) and, abnormal neuroradiological findings (p<0.01). Two or more recurrences were seen in 33 (60.7%) of 55 patients who had unprovoked seizures, and epilepsy was accepted. A statistically significant correlation was found between age over 72 months and seizure recurrence in cases with unprovoked seizures (p=0.019).

Conclusion: It is important to distinguish between seizures in cases presenting with the first seizure, and then to start medication in recurrent cases after EEG and necessary tests are performed, and to follow up the cases in terms of drug side effects and clinical aspects.