A 4-year-old child with continuous seizures for 20 minutes should be suspected of having what condition?

In this scenario, the most appropriate condition to suspect is status epilepticus. Status epilepticus is defined as a continuous seizure lasting longer than 5 minutes or recurrent seizures without recovery of consciousness between them. Since the child is experiencing continuous seizures for 20 minutes, it indicates a prolonged seizure activity, which aligns with the criteria for status epilepticus. This condition is considered a medical emergency requiring prompt treatment to prevent potential neuronal damage and other complications.

On the other hand, a febrile seizure typically occurs in the context of fever and is usually brief, lasting less than 5 minutes. Focal motor seizures involve specific areas of the brain causing localized motor symptoms, but they too typically do not last for an extended duration like in this case. Finally, absence seizures are characterized by brief lapses of consciousness, often only lasting seconds, and do not present as continuous seizures. Hence, the continued seizure activity observed suggests status epilepticus as the most fitting condition.