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Define:
Seizure
Epileps
- Seizure: abnormal, uncontrolled electrical sischarge of neurons leading to change in LOC
- Epilepsy: more than 2 seizures
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Types of seizures:
- Tonic-Clonic: 2-5 minutes, periods of rigidity (tonic) followed by periods of herking (clonic)
- Tonic: increase in muscle tone, loss of consciousness, lasts 30 sec - several minutes
- Clonic: muscle contractions & relaxation, lasts several minutes
- Absence: brief (seconds), loss of consciousness, blank staring, tics
- Myoclonic: few seconds, jerking & stiffening
- Atonic: sudden loss of muscle tone then confusion, few seconds, fall risk
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Partial seizures
- Complex: total black out, lasts 1-3 minutes
- Simple: conscious, deja vu feeling, smell things, sudden pain
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Assessment of seizures & epilepsy
- diagnostic tests to rule out other causes
- -EEG, CT, MRI, PET
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Interventions
- remove or treat cause
- drug therapy-must take on time
- -antiepileptics
- -carbamazepine, diazepam, gabapentin
- -phenobarbitol
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Seizure Precautions
- prevent injury during seizure
- oxygen & suctioning equipment handy
- siderails up on bed
- do not use tongue blades
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Seizure management
- observe & note duration
- turn onto side
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Acute Seizures
- greater number, intensity & length than normal
- treated with lorazepam or diazepam
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Status Epilepticus
- >5 minutes or repeated seizures for 30 minutes
- >10 minutes can lead to death
- AIRWAY IS 1st PRIORITY
- IV push lorazepam or diazepam
- Surgical management:
- -vagal nerve stimulation
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