Febrile children with or without seizure: a Comparison between CBC, ESR and CRP

Objective: The aim of present study was evaluation and comparison of the white blood cell, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C reactive protein (CRP) in febrile children with or without convulsion. Methods: Three hundred sixty eight febrile children aged 6-60 months with or without convulsion were studied. Demographic, white blood cell (WBC), ESR and CRP were compared and analyzed. Results: There was 368 children (184 patients with febrile convulsion as case group and 184 febrile patients without convulsion as control group), with the average age of 26.6±14.4 months and 17.71±15.4 months respectively (p=0.001). In case group 59.78% and in control group 43.48% were male (p=0.002). There was no significant difference between groups regarding WBC, ESR and CRP. There was significant relationship between leukocytosis and convulsion in patients with longer than 15 minutes convulsion (p=0.03). There was not any significant relationship between febrile convulsion patients according to type, duration and frequency of convulsion in ESR and CRP. Conclusion: Leukocytosis and elevated ESR and CRP in patients with febrile convulsion can represent underlying etiology of the fever and it may not be due to convulsion itself. But in longer than 15 minutes convulsion, it can lead to leukocytosis itself.