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
