Bacterial Meningitis Among Pediatric Patients Presenting With Acute Febrile Seizure: A Report From A Tertiary Care Center Of Bihar

Abstract

Introduction: Febrile seizures usually affect children between the ages of five months and six years with a prevalence of 3-8%, which makes them the most common type of seizures in childhood. Bacterial meningitis is one of the deadliest infections, affecting both adults and children, and defined as inflammation of the meninges covering the brain. With this background, a secondary data analysis was planned to find out the incidence of meningitis among pediatric patients presenting with febrile seizures. Methodology: A retrospective cross-sectional study on 150 Patients was conducted by the Department of Pediatrics Nalanda Medical College & Hospital, Patna, Bihar. Prior approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee. The study covered all patients who were diagnosed with or suspected of having febrile seizures in the period between September 2020 to August 2021. The patients’ data were obtained from the hospital database and analyzed. Results: A total of 150 patients who presented to the hospital with febrile seizures in the period between September 2020 to August 2021 were identified, with a median age of 22.5 months. There was a male preponderance in the study population with 62.7% of patients being boys. Bacterial meningitis was suspected and lumber puncture was performed among 17 out of 150 patients, this comprised 11.3% of the total study population. Conclusion: Febrile seizures are one of the most common presentations in the pediatric emergency department. Clinical judgment and balance between risk and reward remain the cornerstone in deciding which patients are more likely to benefit from the lumbar puncture.