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).
Table of contents
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 Diagnosis
Following a thorough assessment, a nursing diagnosis is formulated to specifically address the challenges associated with febrile seizures based on the nurse’s clinical judgment and understanding of the patient’s unique health condition. While nursing diagnoses serve as a framework for organizing care, their usefulness may vary in different clinical situations. In real-life clinical settings, it is important to note that the use of specific nursing diagnostic labels may not be as prominent or commonly utilized as other components of the care plan. It is ultimately the nurse’s clinical expertise and judgment that shape the care plan to meet the unique needs of each patient, prioritizing their health concerns and priorities.