RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Role of routine investigations in children presenting with their first febrile convulsion.
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 188
OP 191
DO 10.1136/adc.52.3.188
VO 52
IS 3
A1 N Rutter
A1 O R Smales
YR 1977
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/52/3/188.abstract
AB To assess the role of routine investigations in children presenting with their first febrile convulsion, the results of investigations carried out in 328 children over a 2-year period were reviewed. Lumber puncture was performed in 96% of cases and resulted in the detection of 4 cases of unsuspected meningitis, one of which was bacterial. 2 children had normal lumbar punctures on admission but developed meningococcal meningitis within 48 hours. Sugar, calcium, urea, and electrolyte estimations, and blood counts were commonly performed but were unhelpful. We suggest that lumbar puncture in those children presenting with their first febrile convulsion under the age of 18 months is the only useful routine investigation.