Abstract

In a private pediatric practice, approximately one-quarter of patients you will see will have some neurologic issue. As many as 150,000 children and adolescents in the United States will seek medical attention each year for evaluation of a newly occurring seizure. In addition, approximately 4% of all children in the United States experience at least one convulsive episode associated with a febrile illness before the age of 5 years. 1 Thus, it would not be surprising to see a child have a seizure in your office. Fortunately, most seizures are brief and not life threatening, typically lasting 1 to 2 minutes. When a child has a seizure in your office, remain calm because you are the one expected to be in charge. Move the child to a safe area where he or she cannot be harmed while seizing. Lay the child on one side and slightly leaning forward so that saliva and vomit can come out of the mouth and not obstruct the airway. Do not place anything in the child’s mouth. If you do, you run the risk of breaking teeth, causing vomiting, or being bitten. If you suspect airway obstruction from a foreign body, sweep the mouth with one finger to pull out the object. A seizing child cannot swallow his or her tongue.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCurbside Consultation in Pediatric Neurology
Subtitle of host publication49 Clinical Questions
PublisherCRC Press
Pages55-56
Number of pages2
ISBN (Electronic)9781040141335
ISBN (Print)9781617115998
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2024

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