Survey of Frequency, Clinical Characteristics and Causes of Seizure in Children Younger Than Five Years With Acute Gastroenteritis Admitted to Ahvaz Golestan Hospital Over a Two Year Period

Background and Objectives Acute gastroenteritis is a highly prevalent disease in children. Various factors may causes seizure in children with gastroenteritis. This study was designed to determine the frequency, clinical characteristics and causes of seizure in children younger than 5 years with acute gastroenteritis admitted to Ahvaz Golestan hospital. Subjects and Methods In a retrospective descriptive study based on hospital records , 339 children under 5 years old who were admitted to Ahvaz Golestan hospital during 2016 - 2017 were assessed. Patients with underlying neurological disorders were excluded and the recorded information of patients with seizure was reviewed. Results Out of 339 reviewed cases, 59 patients (17.4%) had seizures, most prevalent in13 to 24 months age group (28.8%). In 74.6% of cases, type of diarrhea were dysentery. 64.4% had mild dehydration. Encephalopathy was detected in 1.7%, shigellosis in 6.8%, hyponatremia in 32.2% and hypernatremia in 3.4%. Seizures in 52.5% of cases were considered as febrile Seizure. Diagnostic criteria of benign convulsions associated with mild gastroenteritis (CwG) were present in 5% of patients. 79.7% of cases had generalized seizures. In comparison, a significant relationship was observed between the febrile and non-febrile groups only in the variable of diarrhea type. Conclusion The results show that fever and electrolyte imbalances and among infectious agents, Shigella are important causes of seizures in patients with gastroenteritis. In patients with dysentery, seizures are more likely.