Evaluation of coronavirus disease 2019-positive patients with febrile convulsions

Abstract

Objective: Febrile convulsion is a common seizure type in children between 6 months and 6 years of age and is seen in 2%-5% of children.1 Coronavirus disease 2019 spread rapidly and became a pandemic. As coronavirus disease 2019 can be seen in epilepsy patients, the relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 and seizures is not clear yet.2 This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019-positive patients with febrile convulsions and compare them with coronavirus disease 2019-negative patients with febrile convulsions regarding their clinical features.Methods: Forty patients were included in the study. In our country, diagnosing, monitoring, and treating coronavirus disease 2019 are performed according to the Turkish Ministry of Health coronavirus disease 2019 Scientific Committee guidelines.Results: Twelve of the patients were coronavirus disease 2019 positive, whereas 28 were coronavirus disease 2019 negative. While the rate of complex febrile convulsion was 50% in the coronavirus disease 2019-positive group, this ratio was 25% in the coronavirus disease 2019-negative patient group.Conclusions: Seizures occur in the presence of higher-grade fever in coronavirus disease 2019-positive cases. On the other hand, the probability of seizures to occur focally and recur during the same disease period might be higher. Male gender and maternal history of febrile convulsions may be the risk factors.