Serum Level of Vitamin D and Febrile Seizure? A Clinical Study

Objective:To evaluate the serum level of vitamin D in children aged six to 60 months with febrile seizure and febrile children without the seizureMaterials & MethodsFebrile children aged six to 60 months with or without seizure were studied. Demographic characteristics, serum level of vitamin D, and other laboratory findings were recorded.ResultsAmong the 104 children, 51 patients had fever without a seizure and 53 patients had a febrile seizure. The mean subjects’ age was significantly more in the febrile seizure group compared to the without seizure group (16.26 ± 11.87 versus 26.36 ± 14.11 months, p = 0.001). The mean serum level of vitamin D in the with and withouts eizure groups was 41.92 ± 22.42 and 48.41 ± 15.25 microgram perd eciliter, respectively (p = 0.08). There was no significant correlation between serum level of vitamin D and seizure occurrence (p = 0.07).The mean serum sodium and potassium levels, and platelet count were significantly lower in the febrile seizure group compared to the without seizure group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding hemoglobin, blood sugar, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, calcium, alkaline phosphatase levels, and white blood cell count (p > 0.05).ConclusionThe serum level of vitamin D in febrile children with or without seizure was normal. The serum level of vitamin D was lower inp atients with the seizure but not statistically significant. More clinical studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between febrile seizurea nd the serum level of vitamin D

Infantile Herpes Simplex Virus Meningitis: A Case Report

Background: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is one of the main causes of neonatal meningitis; nonetheless, it usually goes unreported. A lumbar puncture is needed to accurately differentiate between viral and bacterial meningitis. The cerebrospinal fluid can be analyzed to exclude bacterial meningitis; nevertheless, the identification of the specific viral cause may be beneficial. Viral diagnosis determines prognosis, improves the care of the patient, decreases hospitalization duration, and reduces unnecessary use of antibiotics. In young infants, the herpes simplex virus infection is responsible for serious complications leading to morbidity, mortality, and permanent sequelae in survivors. The clinical findings of this infection usually include tremors, seizures, lethargy, irritability, poor feeding, temperature instability, and a bulging anterior fontanel, which are common in almost all forms of meningitis. These similarities make the differential diagnosis rather difficult. Case report: We report and discuss the case of an an11-day-old neonate girl who presented with fever and negative test results, as well as our challenges that finally led to the diagnosis of HSV-related meningitis and its management. Conclusion: It could be managed to reach a firm diagnosis confirming the initial differential diagnosis through additional and repetitive testing. Therefore, it is concluded that clinical judgments may be more reliable than paraclinical results in the individual approach for each patient. Furthermore, HSV infection should also be considered for patients with a persistent fever of unknown origin. It is also recommended to adopt separate procedures for the suspicion of HSV type 1 and HSV type 2.   Keywords: Herpes simplex virus, Infantile fever, Meningiti