PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Dad, Mohammad I.
AU  - Ismael, Ghousia A.
AU  - Al-Oufi, Abdulhameed A.
AU  - Al-Mohammadi, Ali H.
TI  - Clinical pattern of seizures in hospitalized children
DP  - 2003 Apr 01
TA  - Neurosciences Journal
PG  - 107--109
VI  - 8
IP  - 2
4099  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/8/2/107.short
4100  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/8/2/107.full
SO  - Neurosciences (Riyadh)2003 Apr 01; 8
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Seizures continue to be a major problem in the pediatric age group. The cause and clinical presentation of these seizures are vast and variable. This is a prospective study, conducted with the aim of assessing the magnitude and presentation of this problem in the region of Al-Madina Al-Munawara, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.METHODS: All the cases of seizures admitted to Madina Maternity & Children’s Hospital, Al-Madina Al-Munawara, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from April 2000 to July 2000 were included in the study. The age groups studied were from 8 days old to 14 years.RESULTS: Out of 1593 patients admitted to the Pediatric Department, 138 (8.7%) were admitted with seizures. Fifty-one (37%) cases were of established epilepsy, 42 (30.4%) of febrile convulsions and 27 (19.6%) of hypocalcemic convulsions. The rest of the total includes first attack of non-febrile seizure, neonatal seizures, encephalitis and drug toxicity.CONCLUSION: We observed and concluded that seizures due to epilepsy remain the most common cause, with febrile convulsion and hypocalcemic convulsion a second and third major causes. As observed, we also recommend further studies into the association of hypocalcemic seizures with underlying active rickets in the pediatric age group.