Seizures Flashcards
(12 cards)
A focal seizure is typically unilateral or bilateral?
unilateral
Most common type of seizures in adults
focal with impairment (lip smacking, blinking, starting off into space)
A 5 yo pt with abrupt, brief alterations to consciousness, such as breaking off mid sentence, missing words…etc. what kind of seizure do you suspect?
Petit mal aka absence; there is no post-ictal state
Drug of choice for absence seizures
Ethosuximide
When do myoclonic seizures typically onset? What is the drug of choice?
teenage years; Valproic Acid
What are the three phases of tonic-clonic (grand-mal) seizures?
Tonic: loss of consciousness, patient becomes rigid and falls to the groun
Clonic: rhythmic jerking motion
Flaccid coma
What are some signs post-seizure that may indicate a grand-mal?
tongue/lips may be bitten, urinary or fecal incontinence, followed by a post-ictal state
When can a patient with grand-mal seizures stop taking their anti-epileptic medication?
they must be seizure-free for two years
Most common cause of status epilepticus
poor compliance with anticonvulsant meds but other causes can be alcohol withdrawal, metabolic disorders, drugs overdose
For status epilepticus administered ____IV
dextrose, lorazepam bolus
You should be concerned about a potential withdrawal seizure after ____hours of your patient ceasing their alcohol intake
48 hours
recurrent unprovoked seizures are known as
epilepsy
