All issues > Volume 27(2); 1984

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1984;27(2):156-163. Published online February 28, 1984.

Clinical Studies of Convulsive Diseases in Children.

Kyung Ho Kim, Young Kyoung Park, Ki Bok Kim

¹Department of Pediatrics Kwangju Christian Hospital

Abstract

The authors reviewed 371 pediatric convulsive patients admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Kwangju Christian Hospital during the 3-year-period from Oct. 1st, 1979 through Sep. 30th, 1982. There were 227 boys and 144 girls. The following observations are made: 1)The most common cause of convulsions in children was encephalitis (20.0%), followed by menigitis(18.3%), febrile convulsion(18.1%), and idiopathic epilepsy (12.4%). 2)Convulsions were most frequent in children from 6 to 15 years of age, amounting to 51.0% of all cases. 3)In sex distribution, male ratio was 1.6 : 1. 4)The most common cause of convulsions in the neonatal period was neonatal tetanus (43.2%), followed by birth trauma(15.9%) and kernicterus( 11.4%). 5)Convulsions from menigitis were most common in children from 1 months to 6 months of age. 6)The most common cause of convulsion in children 6 months to 2 years of age was febrile convulsion(42.5%), followed by meningitis(26.5%) and shigellosis (10.3%). 7) Convulsions from encephalitis were most common in children from 4 years to 15 years of age. 8)The seasonal occurence rate of convulsive children, except for encephalitis patients, was higher in spring(33.7%) and autumn(29.3%) than in other seasons. 9)Common accompanying symptoms in patients with febrile convulsion were those of the respiratory tract, of E.N.T., and of gastrointestinal tract, which were usually improved within 4 days after admission. 10) The overall mortality rate of convulsive patients was 7.6%.

Keywords :Convulsive diseases; clinical study