Which statement best describes a simple febrile seizure?

Which statement best describes a simple febrile seizure?

• A. Focal seizures lasting more than 20 minutes.
• B. Generalized tonic-clonic seizure, less than 15 minutes, in a child with no prior neurologic disease.
• C. Seizures occurring in children with a history of neurologic disease.
• D. Seizures with altered consciousness lasting more than 30 minutes.

Answer: (B)

A simple febrile seizure is a brief, generalized convulsion that occurs in a child during a fever, with no prior neurologic disease and no focal neurologic signs. It typically lasts less than 15 minutes and usually happens as a single event within a 24-hour period. This description fits the statement of a generalized tonic-clonic seizure lasting under 15 minutes in a child with no prior neurologic disease, which is why it’s the best description. Seizures that are focal, prolonged (lasting more than 15 minutes), or occur in children with existing neurologic disease point away from a simple febrile seizure and toward complex febrile seizures or seizures related to underlying conditions.

A simple febrile seizure is a brief, generalized convulsion that occurs in a child during a fever, with no prior neurologic disease and no focal neurologic signs. It typically lasts less than 15 minutes and usually happens as a single event within a 24-hour period. This description fits the statement of a generalized tonic-clonic seizure lasting under 15 minutes in a child with no prior neurologic disease, which is why it’s the best description.

Seizures that are focal, prolonged (lasting more than 15 minutes), or occur in children with existing neurologic disease point away from a simple febrile seizure and toward complex febrile seizures or seizures related to underlying conditions.