A Controlled Study of Profylactic Long-Term Treatment of Febrile Convulsions With Phenobarbital

An unselected and representative series of 208 children admitted following their first febrile convulsion has been offered a continuous prophylactic treatment with phenobarbital. The treatment was started in 174 of the patients and planned to be given for 2 years. For various reasons – the major one being sideeffects – the drug was discontinued at different times before the end of 2 years in 59 patients, 31 are still in treatment and 84 have completed the course. During treatment serum phenobarbital concentration has been checked at regular intervals as well as a the time of recurrent febrile convulsions. – A control series of 200 patients (100 untreated) admitted to the same hospital some years earlier matched the treated series in all aspects. A recurrence rate of febrile convulsions of 13% was found in the treated series compared to 26% in the controll series. An insufficient serum phenobarbital concentration was found in a considerable number of patients at time of recurrence. – The most frequently seen sideefects were hyperagility, sleepdisturbances, drowsiness and skinrashes, often transitory, however not infrequently necessitating discontinuation.