Use this nursing care plan and management guide to help care for patients with febrile seizures. Learn about the nursing assessment, nursing interventions, goals and nursing diagnosis for febrile seizures in this guide.
What are Febrile Seizures?
Febrile seizures are seizures that happen in children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, they are associated with high fever but with an absence of intracranial infection, metabolic conditions, or previous history of febrile seizures. It is subdivided into 2 classifications: A simple febrile seizure is brief, isolated, and generalized while a complex febrile seizure is prolonged (duration of more than 15 minutes), focal (occurs in one part of the brain), or multiple (occurs more than once within 24 hours).
Febrile seizures most often occur within 24 hours of the onset of fever and can be the first indication that a child is sick. Symptoms may include a high fever (102°F to 104°F [38.9°C to 40°C]), sudden loss of consciousness, eye-rolling, involuntary moaning, crying, and passing of urine, rigid (stiff) limbs, apnea or jerky movements on one side of the body (such as arm and leg).
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Nursing Care Plans and Management
Nursing care plan and management for a child with febrile seizures include maintaining airway/respiratory function, maintaining normal core temperature, protecting from injury, and providing family information about the disease process, prognosis, and treatment needs.
Nursing Assessment
Assess for the following subjective and objective data:
- Rapid onset and short duration of the seizure (typically less than 5 minutes)
- High body temperature (usually above 100.4°F or 38°C)
- Loss of consciousness
- Convulsions or rhythmic jerking movements of the body
- Stiffening or tightening of the muscles
- Rolling or deviation of the eyes
- Frothing or foaming at the mouth
- Urinary incontinence
- Post-seizure sleepiness or confusion