Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29642863›Full record

ArticleBMC pediatrics2018

Risk of seizures after immunization in children with epilepsy: a risk interval analysis.

Karina A Top, Paula Brna, Lingyun Ye, Bruce Smith

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pediatrics, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Holistic management of epilepsy in adults with intellectual development disorders.Epileptic disorders : international epilepsy journal with videotape · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Investigation of the incidence of immunisation stress-related response following COVID-19 vaccination in healthcare workers.Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy · 2022
    Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among People with Epilepsy in Lithuania.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Karina A TopDepartment of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. karina.top@dal.ca.
Paula BrnaDepartment of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Lingyun YeCanadian Center for Vaccinology, IWK Health Centre, 4th Floor Goldbloom RCC Pavilion, 5850/5980 University Ave, Halifax, NS, B3K 6R8, Canada.
Bruce SmithCanadian Center for Vaccinology, IWK Health Centre, 4th Floor Goldbloom RCC Pavilion, 5850/5980 University Ave, Halifax, NS, B3K 6R8, Canada.
Dalhousie University · CAIzaak Walton Killam Health Centre · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn children with epilepsy, fever and infection can trigger seizures. Immunization can also induce inflammation and fever, which could theoretically trigger a seizure. The risk of seizure after immunization in children with pre-existing epilepsy is not known. The study objective was to determine the risk of medically attended seizure after immunization in children with epilepsy < 7 years of age.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective study of children < 7 years of age with epilepsy in Nova Scotia, Canada from 2010 to 2014. Hospitalizations, emergency visits, unscheduled clinic visits, and telephone calls for seizures were extracted from medical records. Immunization records were obtained from family physicians and Public Health with informed consent. We conducted a risk interval analysis to estimate the relative risk (RR) of seizure during risk periods 0-14, 0-2, and 5-14 days post-immunization versus a control period 21-83 days post-immunization.

resultsThere were 302 children with epilepsy who were eligible for the study. Immunization records were retrieved on 147 patients (49%), of whom 80 (54%) had one or more immunizations between the epilepsy diagnosis date and age 7 years. These 80 children had 161 immunization visits and 197 medically attended seizures. Children with immunizations had more seizures than either those with no immunizations or those with no records (mean 2.5 versus 0.7 versus 0.9, p < 0.001). The risk of medically attended seizure was not increased 0-14 days after any vaccine (RR = 1.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.5-2.8) or 0-2 days after inactivated vaccines (RR = 0.9, 95% CI: 0.1-7.1) versus 21-83 days post-immunization. No seizure events occurred 5-14 days after live vaccines.

conclusionsChildren with epilepsy do not appear to be at increased risk of medically attended seizure following immunization. These findings suggest that immunization is safe in children with epilepsy, with benefits outweighing risks.

Indexed as

AdolescentChildChild, PreschoolEpilepsyFemaleFeverHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleNova ScotiaRetrospective StudiesRisk AssessmentSeizuresTime FactorsVaccinationVaccines, AttenuatedVaccines, Live, UnattenuatedAdverse event following immunizationEpilepsySeizureVaccinationVaccine safety

Identifiers

PMID29642863
PMCPMC5896155
OpenAlexW2800094237

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.