Acute Otorhinolaryngological Infections Associated With Febrile Seizures Among Paediatric Patients Presenting at the Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

Background: Febrile seizures (FS) are convulsions that are triggered by fever in children between 6 months and 5 years of age without an underlying central nervous system disorder. Acute Otorhinolaryngological infections have been observed as some of the causes of FS. This study aimed to identify acute otorhinolaryngological infections in patient presenting with FS in Kenyatta National hospital. Broad objective: To describe the acute otorhinolaryngological infections in children presenting with febrile seizures at the Kenyatta national hospital. Study population: The study involved children between the age of 6 months and 5 years presenting with FS. Study Setting: The study was conducted at the Kenyatta National Hospital Paediatric acute care unit, paediatric medical wards and paediatric intensive care unit. Methodology: This was a cross – sectional study involving 119 paediatric patients. Paediatric patients were recruited using consecutive sampling technique. Biodata was recorded in data collection sheet, history was taken and physical examination done with emphasis on ENT exam, type of seizure, files reviewed to identify other diagnosis made. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as means and proportions and Pearson correlation test using SPSS version 22. Results: There were 119 paediatric patients with age range of 6 months to 5 years. The prevalence of febrile seizures in paediatric patients with acute Otorhinolaryngological infections were 95.74% and 4.26% for simple and complex seizures respectively. The prevalence of acute otorhinolaryngological infections in paediatric patients with FS was 30.3%. Among acute otorhinolaryngological infections, pharyngotonsillitis was the commonest cause of FS at 34.04%. Others conditions were, acute pharyngitis, acute tonsillitis and acute otitis media. Most paediatric patients with acute otorhinolaryngological infection had simple febrile seizures at 95.74%. Conclusion and recommendations: Acute otorhinolaryngological infections were the second commonest cause of FS in this study with pharyngotonsillitis accounting for majority of cases. The prevalence of acute otorhinolaryngological infections in paediatric patients with FS was 30.3%. Simple FS were commoner than the complex FS accounting for 95% of the paediatric patients. Paediatric patients with acute otorhinolaryngological conditions were 22 times more likely to have simple than complex FS. We advise pediatricians and emergency medicine clinicians to make otorhinolaryngological examination routine for early identification of the cause of FS