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 language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | Curbside Consultation in Pediatric Neurology |
Subtitle of host publication | 49 Clinical Questions |
Publisher | CRC Press |
Pages | 55-56 |
Number of pages | 2 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781040141335 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781617115998 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2024 |