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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffAfter experiencing a febrile seizure, your child will likely have:
- A physical exam
- Blood tests
- Urine tests
These tests can help determine possible causes of the fever and seizure.
If your doctor suspects a central nervous system infection, a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) may be necessary. In this procedure, a doctor inserts a needle into your child's lower back to remove a small amount of spinal fluid. This test can reveal evidence of infection in the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.
Further tests such as an electroencephalogram (EEG) — a test that measures brain activity — may be necessary if your child had a complex febrile seizure.
- Febrile seizures. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec19/ch283/ch283c.html. Accessed Nov. 16, 2009.
- Febrile seizures. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/febrile_seizures/detail_febrile_seizures.htm. Accessed Nov. 16, 2009.
- Fishman MA. Febrile seizures. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 12, 2009.
- What do I do if my child has a febrile seizure? American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_FebrileSeizures.htm. Accessed Nov. 16, 2009.
- Blumstein MD. Childhood seizures. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2007;25:1061.
- Strengell T, et al. Antipyretic agents for preventing recurrences of febrile seizures. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2009;163:799.
- American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs. Acetaminophen toxicity in children. Pediatrics. 2001;108:1020.
- Febrile seizures: Clinical practice guideline for the long-term management of the child with simple febrile seizures. Elk Grove Village, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2008;121:1281.
- Jay Hoecker. (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 18, 2009.
