Systematic review and meta-analysis found significant risk of brain injury and neurosurgery in alert children after a post-traumatic seizure.

This study aimed to determine the frequency of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on neuroimaging and the need for emergency neurosurgery in children with normal mental status following a post-traumatic seizure (PTS).We searched six electronic databases from inception to October 15, 2018, to identify studies including children under 18 years with head injury and a Glasgow Coma Score of 15 after an immediate PTS. Relevant non-English articles were translated to determine eligibility.

We performed random effect meta-analyses and assessed heterogeneity with I² . The pooled estimate of the frequency of TBI, from seven studies, was 13.0% (95% CI: 4.0-26.1; I² = 81%). Data on the need of emergency neurosurgery were reported in four studies and the pooled estimate of its frequency was 2.3% (95% CI: 0.0-9.9; I² = 86%). Two studies reported on children with isolated PTS without any other signs of head injury, representing 0.1% of patients in both studies, for a total of 76 children. Of these, only three had TBI and one underwent neurosurgery.

Children with immediate PTS and normal mental status frequently have TBI with a substantial need for neurosurgery. Clinicians should strongly consider neuroimaging for these children, although prolonged observation may be considered for those with isolated PTS.