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. 2008 Feb 8;8:5. doi: 10.1186/1471-2431-8-5

Table 3.

Seizures manifestation, main aetiological factors and outcome by age group of children with seizures

Description of seizures Age group of patients

0 – 1 month, N = 43, (%) 2 – 5 months, N = 36, (%) 6 – 36 months, N = 535, (%) 37 – 72 months, N = 237 (%) >72 months, N = 49, (%)
Proportion with seizures 43/736 (5.8) 36/514 (7.0) 580/2,374 (22.5) 258/742 (31.9) 55/555 (8.8)
Parental description of seizure event
 Focal 13 (30.2) 7 (19.4) 72 (13.5) 21 (8.9) 8 (16.3)
 Focal, secondarily generalised 6 (14.0) 0 (0) 25 (4.3) 7 (3.0) 0 (0)
 Generalised 21 (48.8) 25 (69.4) 423 (79.2) 199 (84.0) 39 (79.6)
 Not described 3 (7.0) 4 (11.1) 16 (3.0) 10 (4.2) 2 (4.1)
Number of seizures, median (IQR) 3 (2, 5) 1 (1, 3) 2 (1, 3) 2 (1, 3) 1 (1, 2)
Level of consciousness at admission
 Normal 31 (72.1) 26 (72.2) 401 (74.9) 171 (72.2) 33 (67.4)
 Prostration or mild impairment 8 (18.6) 6 (16.7) 73 (13.6) 39 (16.5) 5 (10.2)
 Agitation 3 (7.0) 3 (8.3) 8 (1.5) 3 (1.3) 3 (6.1)
 Coma 1 (2.3) 1 (2.7) 61 (10.5) 29 (11.2) 8 (14.6)
Leading diagnoses associated with seizures by age group
 1 Neonatal sepsis 28 (65.1%) Respiratory tract infections, 10 (27.8%) Malaria, 303 (56.6%) Malaria, 155 (65.4%) Malaria, 18 (36.7%)
 2 Pyogenic meningitis, 7 (16.3%) Acute gastroenteritis, 6 (16.7%) Respiratory tract infections, 85 (15.9%) Respiratory tract infections, 37(15.6%) Respiratory tract infections, 6 (12.2%)
 3 Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, 5 (11.6%) Pyogenic meningitis, 6 (16.2%) Acute gastroenteritis, 27 (5.1%) Acute gastroenteritis, 4 (1.7%) Others 21 (42.9)
Outcome
 Death 7 (16.3) 0 (0) 15 (2.8) 3 (1.3) 3 (6.1)
 Sequelae 3 (7.0) 1 (2.8) 5 (0.9) 3 (1.3) 1 (2.0)