چكيده لاتين :
Objective
Whatever the health field, compliance with the recommended practice
guidelines or parameters for diagnosis by specialists and expert health
professionals benefits the patients . This study was conducted to determine
the whether or not these guidelines or parameters are applied to the
evaluation of children with first simple febrile convulsion (SFC) in a regional
teaching hospital.
Materials & Methods
In a prospective study conducted on children with SFC, admitted in the
Pediatric ward of Imam hospital, Oromieh, records of investigations ordered
between Jan 2003 and Dec 2004 for children diagnosed with SFC were
collected. Practice parameters of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MP)
were employed as diagnostic standards. Applied practices were compared
with AAP recommended practice parameters. Investigations performed
included lumbar puncture, complete blood count, CRp, ESR, blood glucose,
serum calcium, electrolytes, renal function tests, urinalysis, urine culture,
and blood culture, chest X-ray, EEG and CT scan.
Results
Two hundred and fifty-one consecutive cases, aged 6-60 months, were
evaluated . Complete blood count, blood glucose, serum calcium, serum
electrolytes, renal function tests, urinalysis, urine culture, and blood culture
were tested in all cases (100%). Lumbar puncture, chest X-ray, EEG and CT
brain scan had been performed in 10%, 24%, 1.4% and 0.65% of cases,
respectively. The mean number of routine investigations was twelve .
Conclusion
Compared to recommended practice guidelines the results of this study
highlighted that children with first SFC had more often than necessary
investigation. These, not only resulted in significant expense, they proved
to be of little diagnostic value. Compliance with a centrally organized
national program would significantly help to improve SFC evaluation.
