Parental Anxiety Levels of Patients Admitted to Pediatric Emergency Clinic Due to Febrile Convulsion

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to determine the anxiety levels of the parents of patients admitted to the pediatric emergency clinic due to febrile convulsion, and to evaluate factors that may affect anxiety levels. In addition, it is aimed to investigate the effect of the febrile convulsion on parents' behavior and emotional status in order to improve our attitude towards parents in the future. Materials-Methods: The study was done at Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Medical Faculty Faculty Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department between February 2017 and September 2018 with febril convulsion and fever were included in this study. The patients were evaluated in two groups as those with febril convulsion and those who complained of fever only. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to determine the level of anxiety of parents. Results: Of the patients included in the study, 323 (48.6%) were admitted with febril convulsion and 341 (51.4%) with fever complaints. When compared to the mean of the state anxiety score and the trait anxiety score between the groups, it was found that the mean of the state anxiety score was statistically higher in the febrile convulsion group than the non-seizure fever group (p=0.001), while the trait anxiety score was also high in the febril convulsion group, but no statistical significance was found between the non-seizure fever group (p>0,05). When the anxiety level of parents was examined according to the number of seizures of the patients in the febril convulsion group, it was found that the parents of patients with their first seizures were statistically significantly higher than their parents with multiple seizures (p=0.007, p=0.001). No statistical significance was found between the education level of the parents and their anxiety scores (p> 0.05). Conclusion: Parents of patients who have applied to health institutions with a fever complaint, providing fever and febrile convulsion training, explaining the first interventions to the patient who has a seizure, and raising awareness of the families reduce parents' worries and fears.