Patient's question:
At night, there was an episode of afebrile convulsion. The symptoms were the same as the previous two times. When checked at the hospital, both the brain CT and EEG were normal, and there was no calcium deficiency. The doctor is now treating it as epilepsy and has prescribed Keppra. Is my daughter suffering from epilepsy?Doctor's answer:
When a child has a fever, sometimes they may experience convulsions. At this time, parents should not mistakenly think it's because the child is cold. So, what should be done if a child has convulsions while having a fever? Use the thumb to press the Ren Zhong acupoint (slightly above the center of Ren Zhong) on the convulsing child. It may stop the convulsions temporarily. However, physical cooling should be combined to prevent further convulsions. Stay calm and minimize stimulation to the child. Avoid loud noises. Let the child lie flat with their head tilted to one side. Loosen their collar to keep the airway clear and prevent saliva or vomit from flowing back into the trachea, which could cause suffocation or aspiration pneumonia. Use a cold towel to dampen the head or place an ice pack on it. When the child is conscious, a lukewarm bath (30–40°C water) or alcohol rub can also be used for physical cooling to reduce body temperature and prevent convulsions.