Question
An eight to nine-month-old baby experienced fever and seizures due to a cold, with symptoms including hand clenching, staring eyes, purple face, and frothing at the mouth. These symptoms lasted for about two minutes before the child fell asleep. The parents sought medical attention at a county-level hospital and were discharged after receiving intravenous treatment. The parents want to know if this condition could be epilepsy?
Answer
Epilepsy is a clinical syndrome characterized by recurrent attack of abnormal discharge of brain neurons, leading to temporary disruption of brain function. Clinical manifestations include varying degrees of functional impairments in movement, sensation, consciousness, autonomic nervous system, and mental aspects, and sometimes these symptoms occur simultaneously. Commonly used medications for treating epilepsy include phenytoin, carbamazepine, valproate, phenobarbital, ethosuximide, and clonazepam.