Childhood hyperpyrexia in Benin City, Nigeria.

Childhood hyperpyrexia is associated with serious infections particularly bronchopneumonia, infective diarrhoea, meningitis, measles, urinary tract infections, otitis media, septicemia and sickle cell crisis Hyperpyrexia was found most in children aged 6-12 months followed by children aged 12-18 months. Hyperpyrexia occurred least in children aged 2-6 months. Febrile convulsion was associated with 38% of the cases. Malaria was a cause of convulsion in 27% of children with fever. This appears to contrast earlier reports by Lennox (1953) and Familusi (1971). The study confirms the rarity of hyperpyrexia in children aged 3 months and under. Deaths recorded were in children brought at the late stages of their ill health. Intensive health education is recommended to obviate unnecessary death of children through ignorance and poor knowledge of simple first aid measures.