Epilepsy Flashcards
Sudden onset, self limiting episode of physical and/or psychological dysfunction caused by an abnormal burst of firing in the CNS is known as:
Seizure.
A neurological condition of various etiologies which affects the CNS and results in recurrent spontaneous seizures is known as:
Epilepsy.
Ictus/Ictal is used as:
Medical term for seizure activity.
Aura is known as:
Sensory hallucination.
Many seizures begin with them.
Location usually indicates type n vice versa.
What are the common aura experiences?
- tinnitus
- whirring or gong like sounds
- flashing lights
- apparent darkening of room
- paraesthesia
- smells or tastes (burnt toast, oranges, eggs, metal
Define triggers:
Immediate stimulus (sensory mainly) which initiates activity in the abnormal part of brain and pushes it beyond seizure threshold.
Common ones:
-strobe lights, flickering lights, rhythmic stimuli, loud noise, pain or emotional stress, complex patterns, allergies, complex functions, neuronal firing
What are destabilizing factors?
-background factors that make someone with epilepsy more sensitive or prone to seizure triggers.
They lower the persons threshold.
- recent injury/illness, lack of sleep, poor eating
- pain or emotional stress, alcohol/drugs
- irregular meds intake
- new meds or meds changes
What are some of the most common causes of epilepsy?
- genetic defect
- difficult birth
- head trauma
- infections (meningitis, encephalitis)
- cerebrovascular disease n stroke
- cardiac dysfunction or arrest
- kid episodes of high fever
- allergies
- suffocation or hypoxic incident
- severe shock (war, rape etc)
List the common types of seizures:
- tonic/clonic
- absence
- Jacksonian
- psychomotor
- akinetic/atonic
- myoclonic
What does Tonus mean in regards to seizures?
The entire body becomes rigid for about 1min.
Clonus means the entire body becomes flaccid for about 1-8minutes.
True or false?
False.
It becomes spasmodic
How does a tonic/clonic seizure begin?
Distinguishing factor.
See an aura first and will be the only part of the seizure they remember.
What’s often a sign that a tonic/clonic seizure is ending?
Urinary or fecal incontinence.
They have slow return to consciousness with confusion, fatigue and stupor for up to 48hours.
A person is considered in a state of status epilepticus on what occasion?
When they don’t come out of the seizure after 10mins or so.
Tonic/clonic seizures are most dangerous for the patient.
Absence seizures are a 10-30 sec loss of consciousness without loss of muscle tone.
True or false.
True.
- Minimal to no post Ictal symptoms.
- May have a mild tonic component
- Eyes roll back into sockets
- May froth at the mouth
Distinguishing factor of Jacksonian type seizure is
The marching like sequence.
There is an initial spasm of the entire body followed by rapid squential progression of spasm throughout body parts.
Consciousness is always affected with Jacksonian type seizures.
True or false?
False.
Not usually affected.
Which seizure type is usually seen in adults post injury to temporal lobe?
Psychomotor.
- loss of mental and emotional contact with surroundings
- May become motionless or stare blankly
- May include automatism
- lasts about 2mins
- post Ictal amnesia is common.
Post Ictal amnesia is uncommon with psychomotor seizures.
True or false.
False.
Common.
Automatism (involuntary but coordinated motor activity) occurs in conjunction to which seizure type?
Psychomotor.
Falling, stumbling, bumping into objects or dropping objects are all characteristics of which seizure type?
Akinetic/atonic
-they lose motor control for only a few seconds with no loss of consciousness
Which seizure type is seen exclusively in children?
Atonic/akinetic.
May disappear with age or may progress to tonic/clonic.
Myoclonus seizures are sudden n brief with shock like contractions involving the whole body or few body parts.
True or false?
True.
There is loss of consciousness with myoclonic seizures.
True or false?
False.
No loss.
What are some seizure complications?
- injuries
- Todd’s paralysis
- status epilepticus
- cardiac arrest
- respiratory arrest
- long term complications
Todd’s paralysis is postictal, lasting 24-48 hours following the seizure.
True or false?
True.
Condition where a person fails to come out of the seizure or proceeds directly into another is known as:
Status epilepticus.
Commonly due to non-compliance with meds, alcohol withdrawal, metabolic disease, tumours, infarctions or destabilizing factors.
Cardiac arrest in epilepsy is usually due to:
Heart muscle dysarhythmia.
Which medication is strongly associated with osteoporosis?
Dilantin.
Dupuytrens contracture is commonly associated with which medication?
Phenobarbitol
When is the best time to treat an epileptic patient taking seizure medication?
First half time interval in which meds have been taken
If meds taken in morning, you should treat them before midday
How long post seizure is massage therapy contraindicated?
24-48hours.
Prone is the best position for patient having a seizure as it helps clear the airways.
False.
3/4 prone is. Must be in clear area or on mat on floor.
Have at least 6pillows handy when treating epileptic patient.
When a patient is in seizure and you have positioned them in recovery position, what should you do next?
Make note of time and assume 1-2mins have passed from aura to repositioning them.
What is considered subacute time frame post seizures?
48-76 hours.
