PRACTICE PARAMETER - THE NEURODIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF THE CHILD WITHA FIRST SIMPLE FEBRILE SEIZURE

The American Academy of Pediatrics and its Provisional Committee on Qu ality Improvement, in collaboration with experts from the Section on N eurology, general pediatricians, consultants in the fields of neurolog y and epilepsy, and research methodologists, developed this practice p arameter. This parameter provides recommendations for the neurodiagnos tic evaluation of a child with a first simple febrile seizure. These r ecommendations derive from both a thorough review of the literature an d expert consensus. Interventions of direct interest include lumbar pu ncture, electroencephalography, blood studies, and neuroimaging. The m ethods and results of the literature review and data analyses can be f ound in the technical report that is available from the Publications D epartment of the American Academy of Pediatrics. This parameter is des igned to assist pediatricians by providing an analytic framework for t he evaluation and treatment of this condition. It is not intended to r eplace clinical judgment or establish a protocol for all patients with this condition. It rarely will be the only appropriate approach to th e problem.