PREVALENCE OF BACTERAEMIA AMONGST CHILDREN WITH FEBRILE SEIZURES AT THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL, IBADAN.

Febrile seizures are common among children and these are known to result from the diverse aetiological factors, known to cause fever in children.To determine the prevalence of bacteraemia amongst children with febrile seizures at the children's emergency room of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.This was a prospective study involving 147 children who were presented with febrile seizures over a period of 13 months at the University College Hospital Ibadan. They all had their blood cultures sample taken under aseptic conditions. Other investigations performed on them included a packed cell volume, full blood count and blood film for malaria parasite.

A total of 83 males and 64 females with febrile seizures were studied. Their ages ranged from 4 to 60 months with a mean age of 26.35 + 13.76 months. Bacteraemia was diagnosed in 32(21.8%) of the cases. The predominant organism isolated from the blood of these patients was Staphylococcus aureus.

Bacteraemia is a frequent finding in children with febrile seizures hence, it may be beneficial to carry out blood culture in such children on the suspicion of a probable bacterial infection.