Abstracts

Rationale: Prolonged seizure of more than 5 minutes should be treated to prevent continuous seizures that cause of brain neuronal injuries. We would like to evaluate the clinical characteristics related to prolonged seizures in children. Methods: 192 patients, who came to Wonju Severance Christian Hospital due to epileptic seizure that the duration was less than 30 minutes from January to December, 2012, were enrolled. The patients were divided two groups; group A that the seizure persist less than 5 minute, and group B that the seizure persist more than 5 minutes. We compare the clinical characteristics ?" sex, onset age, family history, seizure type, imaging studies, EEG, and laboratory findings between two groups. The patients were followed up at least two years and evaluated whether the further seizures were occurred. Results: The number of patients were 110 (male 63, female 47) in group A and 82 (male 49, female 33) in group B. The ages of onset were that in group A, there was 8.2% in less than 1 year old, 77.3% in less than 5 year old, and 14.5% in more than 5 year old and in group B; 3.7%, 70.7%, 25.6% each other. There were no significant differences between two groups in the sex ratio (p=0.73) and the ages of onset (p=0.09). The causes of the seizures were that the febrile was 68.2%, symptomatic 17.3%, and idiopathic 14.5% in group A; in group B, febrile was 63.4%, symptomatic 23.2%, and idiopathic 13.4%. The generalized convulsive seizures were 90.9% in group A and 93.9% in group B (p=0.59). The family history of epilepsy was 8.2% in group A and 6.1% in group B (p=0.59). The rate of abnormal brain CT was 12.5% in group A and 5.0% in group B (p=0.12). The rate of abnormal EEG was 10.5% in group A and 15.5% in group B (p=0.39). In the laboratory test for serum sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and ammonia, the only potassium level was different between two groups; 4.460.49 in group A, 4.310.45 in group B (p=0.03). The rate of occurring further seizures was 27.1% in group A and 36.4% in group B. Among them, 7.5% in group A and 9.1% in group B were diagnosed to the epilepsy (p=0.40). Conclusions: Eventhough there were no significant statistical differences of clinical characteristics between two groups, except the level of serum potassium. The patients that the seizure persist more than 5 minutes tend to occur further seizures and diagnose to epilepsy than the patients that the seizure persist less than 5 minutes. So the seizures have to be stopped within 5 minutes. Funding: no