The importance of hematological parameters in febrile seizures: A case-control study Febrile seizures and hematological parameters

Aim: Febrile seizures are the most common neurologic disorder of infants and young children. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of hematological parameters in patients with febrile seizures, which constitute the majority of pediatric emergency department admissions and cause stress in families. Material and Methods: This is a retrospective, case-control study consisting of a review of charts from a pediatric emergency department of a training and research hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: a study group consisting of 170 children with febrile seizures and a control group of 130 children with fever without seizures. Hematological parameters in peripheral blood samples at the time of the first evaluation were recorded from patients' files and compared between the two groups. Results: The major findings of the study were that neutrophil count was higher, lymphocyte count was lower, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was higher and hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean platelet volume and platelet count were lower in children with febrile seizures. Discussion: Febrile seizures are common in children under 5 years of age and constitute the majority of pediatric emergency admissions. In this study, we found that neutrophil count and platelet count were the most important protective factors associated with febrile seizures and we think that they may be reliable, easily accessible and inexpensive markers for determining the risk of febrile seizures.