TITLE:
Infant and Child Seizures at the “Hôpital Spécialisé Mère-Enfant Blanche GOMES” of Brazzaville (Congo)
AUTHORS:
Pascal Diogene Bingui Outman, Nelly Guembo Pandzou, Verlem Bomelefa-Bomel, Rolyne Vanissia Madzou Nganie, Rel Gerald Boukaka Kala², Benoite Diatewa, Grace Mvinzou Nkounkou, Luopu Lamah, Gloire Mboro, Jean Brice Mouendenguia, Dorthea Banga Massalat, Jean Robert Mabiala Babela
KEYWORDS:
Convulsive Seizures, Infants-Children, Brazzaville
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.15 No.3,
April
22,
2025
ABSTRACT: Goal: Describe the clinical, etiological, and therapeutic characteristics of convulsions in infants and children admitted to the Hôpital Spécialisé Mère-Enfant Blanche GOMES in Brazzaville (Congo). Method: A descriptive study with prospective collection from October 1, 2021, to October 31, 2022. Children from 1 month to 17 years old admitted for a convulsive seizure were collected during the study period. Children who died on arrival were excluded. The clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic, and evolutionary parameters were studied. The data was processed by Epi-info version 7.0 software. Results: Out of 1050 pediatric admissions (newborns excluded), 120 (11.43%) cases of convulsive seizures were recorded. The mean age was 4.26 ± four years (range: one month and 16 years old), with a sex ratio of 0.93. Fever was present in 93 (77.5%) patients. In 71 (59.17%) children, the seizure was tonic-clonic and tonic in 36 (30%) cases. The episodes lasted less than 15 minutes in 80 (66.67%) children and more than 15 minutes in the remainder. Generalized seizures accounted for 82.5% of cases, and 59 (49.17%) children presented with impaired consciousness on admission. Seizures were linked to malaria in 58 patients (48.33%), purulent meningitis in 10 (8.33%) cases, febrile seizures (30.83%), and comitiality in 10 cases (8.33%). Anticonvulsants were required in 79 (65.83%) patients. The first-line Diazepam was the most commonly used anticonvulsant (60%). Parenteral anti-malaria treatment was used in 63 patients (52.5%), with artesunate in 95.23% of cases. Antibiotic therapy was administered to 62 (51.66%) patients. The treatment combines an anti-malaria and an antibiotic and was used in 15 patients (12.5%). Fourteen deaths (11.67%) were recorded in the series, including eight (57.14%) for cerebral malaria and four (28.57%) for severe meningitis. Conclusion: Convulsive seizures are frequent in children at the Hôpital Spécialisé Mère-Enfant Blanche GOMES. Infectious etiologies remain dominant in our context. Improving hospital care requires proper administration of anticonvulsants, early and appropriate etiological diagnosis and treatment.