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Neuropediatrics 2021; 52(04): 242-251
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1730936
Review Article

Management of Neurological Emergencies in Children: An Updated Overview

Mario Mastrangelo 
1   Child Neurology and Infantile Psychiatry Unit, Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
,
Valentina Baglioni
1   Child Neurology and Infantile Psychiatry Unit, Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
› Author Affiliations Funding No funding to declare for both authors.
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Abstract

Neurological emergencies account for about one-third of the highest severity codes attributed in emergency pediatric departments. About 75% of children with acute neurological symptoms presents with seizures, headache, or other paroxysmal events. Life-threatening conditions involve a minor proportion of patients (e.g., less than 15% of children with headache and less than 5% of children with febrile seizures). This review highlights updated insights about clinical features, diagnostic workup, and therapeutic management of pediatric neurological emergencies. Particularly, details will be provided about the most recent insights about headache, febrile seizures, status epilepticus, altered levels of consciousness, acute motor impairment, acute movement disorders, and functional disorders, as well as the role of diagnostic tools (e.g., neuroimaging, lumbar puncture, and electroencephalography), in the emergency setting. Moreover, the impact of the current novel coronavirus disease2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the evaluation of pediatric neurologic emergencies will also be analyzed.

Keywords

status epilepticus - headache - syncope - functional disorders - movement disorders - COVID-19

Authors' Contribution

M.M. planned the review, wrote the first draft, and revised the paper. V.B. collected the literature data and revised the paper.




Publication History

Received: 09 February 2021

Accepted: 17 March 2021

Article published online:
30 June 2021

© 2021. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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