• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.149-158
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate caregivers' knowledge, concerns, and management of children with febrile convulsions (FC). Methods: A descriptive correlation study was conducted with 133 caregivers whose children had been diagnosed with a FC. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation were used for data analysis. Results: The mean percent of correct answers related to knowledge was 48.5%. Many caregivers believed that FC causes brain damage and did not know that risk of subsequent epilepsy in FC is rare. Levels of concern about FC were high. Caregivers were highly concerned about further FC attacks in the night and tended to worry that Febrile children were apt to get a fever. Many caregivers used management practices which are not recommended for FC in children. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between caregivers' knowledge and concerns about FC. There was also a positive correlation between caregivers' knowledge and management of FC. Conclusion: Findings suggest that improvements are needed in caregivers' knowledge and management of FC. Caregivers' concerns related to misconception need to be addressed. Development and evaluation of educational interventions on changing caregivers' management of FC are recommended.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.753-759
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• 2005

Purpose : This study was performed to characterize clinical features of benign convulsions with gastroenteritis(CwG) in infants. Methods : We reviewed clinical features of 67 episodes in 64 patients with afebrile seizure accompanied gastroenteritis admitted to Dept. of Pediatrics Bundang CHA hospital from January 2001 to June 2004. Patients with meningitis, encephalitis/encephalopathy or apparent history of epilepsy were excluded. Results : There were 32 boys and 35 girls. The age of onset ranged from 1 to 42 months($18.5{\pm}6.1$ months). The number of children admitted to the hospital with acute gastroenteritis was 2,887 in the same period. The percentage of patients with CwG was 2.3. Seizure type was exclusively generalized tonic or tonic-clonic seizure. The average number of seizures during a single episode was 3.1 (range, 1-13). Two or more seizures occurred in 53(79.1%) of the 67 episodes. Antiepileptic drugs were administered for 42 episodes. Seizure did not cease after the administration of one kind of antiepileptic drug in 23 episodes(54.7%). The seizures were rather refractory to initial antiepileptic treatment. There were no abnormalities in serum biochemistry test including glucose and electrolytes. Cerebrospinal fluid was normal in all 54 episodes. Stool cultures were negative in 49 episodes. Rotavirus was positive in stools in 51(82.3%) of 62 episodes. Norovirus was positive in stools in 2 episodes and astrovirus in 1 of 18 episodes. CT and/or MRI were performed in 15 cases and demonstrated no neuroradiologic abnormalities. Of 73 Interictal EEG, initial 24 cases showed occasional spike or sharp wave discharges from the mid-line area during stage I-II sleep, which were apparently differentiated from vertex sharp transient or K-complexes. The mean follow-up period was 5.7 months(1-36 months). Three patients experienced a recurrence of CwG, but all patients exhibited normal psychomotor development at the last follow-up. Conclusion : Afebrile infantile convulsions with gastroenteritis are brief generalized seizure in cluster with normal laboratory findings and good prognosis. Therefore CwG is likely to be categorized as situation-related seizure of special syndrome. Recognition of this entity should lead to assurance of the parents and long-term anticonvulsant therapy is not usually warranted.