The key difference between simple and complex febrile seizure is that simple febrile seizure is a type of febrile seizure that does not recur within a 24-hour period, while complex febrile seizure is a type of febrile seizure that occurs more than once within 24 hours.
A febrile seizure is a convulsion that occurs in a child due to a fever. A febrile seizure occurs in young, healthy children who have normal development and neurology. The fever, in this case, is often due to an infection. Simple and complex febrile seizures are two different types of febrile seizures.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Simple Febrile Seizure
3. What is Complex Febrile Seizure
4. Similarities – Simple and Complex Febrile Seizure
5. Simple vs. Complex Febrile Seizure in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Simple vs. Complex Febrile Seizure
What is Simple Febrile Seizure?
A febrile seizure is the most common neurologic disorder in infants and young children. It is an age-dependent phenomenon. Therefore, it normally occurs in 2 to 4 % of children younger than five years of age. A simple febrile seizure is also known as a generalized seizure. It generally lasts less than 15 minutes and does not recur during a 24-hour period of time. A simple febrile seizure is also not confined to one place in the body. Moreover, simple febrile seizure represents the majority of febrile seizures.
A simple febrile seizure is a benign phenomenon, but it is linked to a slightly elevated risk of future epilepsy in children compared to the general population. Furthermore, when it comes to postictal gestures, there is no postictal pathology or residual weakness. Simple febrile seizures can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, and neurological examination. A simple febrile seizure usually does not need any treatment. But parents can give fever-reducing medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen during simple febrile illnesses.
What is Complex Febrile Seizure?
A complex febrile seizure is focal, prolonged, or occurs multiple times within the first 24 hours. It is a more heterogeneous group of febrile seizures. It is also associated with a higher risk of recurrence during early childhood, and it increases the risk of future febrile seizures in affected children. Furthermore, when it comes to postictal gestures, Todd’s paresis can be seen in the affected children. Todd’s paresis is associated with weakness or paralysis of parts or all of the body following a seizure.
Complex febrile seizures can be diagnosed through blood tests, physical examination, and neurological examination. Moreover, complex febrile seizure needs immediate treatments such as rectal diazepam (Diastat), which may be prescribed for home use, and daily prescription antiseizure medications.
What are the Similarities Between Simple and Complex Febrile Seizures?
- Simple and complex febrile seizures are two different types of febrile seizures.
- Both can be mainly identified in infants and young children.
- They can be triggered by a fever due to an infection.
- Both can be diagnosed through physical examination and neurological examination.
- They can be treated through specific medications.
What is the Difference Between Simple and Complex Febrile Seizure?
A simple febrile seizure does not recur within a 24-hour period, while a complex febrile seizure occurs more than once within 24 hours. Thus, this is the key difference between simple and complex febrile seizure. Furthermore, simple febrile seizure is not focal and not prolonged, while complex febrile seizure is focal and prolonged.
The infographic below presents the differences between simple and complex febrile seizure in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Simple vs. Complex Febrile Seizure
A febrile seizure is a convulsion or fit that can happen when a child has a high temperature due to an infection. In these children, the fever is usually above 100.4 °F (38 °C). Febrile seizures are classified as simple or complex. A simple febrile seizure is defined as a febrile seizure not recurring during a 24-hour period. A complex febrile seizure is defined as a febrile seizure that occurs more than once within 24 hours. So, this summarizes the difference between simple and complex febrile seizure.
Reference:
1. “Febrile Seizure.” Mayo Clinic.
2. “Febrile Seizure: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “100.7 fever” By woodleywonderworks (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr