Epilepsy and Seizures Flashcards
what is syncope?
temporary loss of consciousness caused by a fall in blood pressure.
- a simple faint
what is a hypoxic seizure?
when the brain is deprived of oxygen and causes the person to lose consciousness
what is a concussive seizure ?
when someone experiences trauma to their head
- for example, RTA and contact sports
give some examples of differential diagnoses for a blackout?
syncope first seizure hypoxic seizure concussive seizure cardiac arrhythmia non-epileptic attack
in what age range are cardiac arrhythmias more common?
more common in older people
whats two important things to do to get a good idea of whats happened during the seizure ?
detailed history from patient
detailed history from witnesses
what questions would you ask the patient about their seizure ?
- did you have any warning signs?
- what happened before the incident?
- did you have any injuries?
- what were you doing at the time ?
- has anything like this happened in the past?
- how did you feel afterwards
what sort of questions would you ask the witness about the seizure?
- what were the patterns of movements ?
- what was the colour of the person?
- what was the person doing before hand
- how fast did the seizure last?
- how long until the person came back around and start speaking
what other information about the patient who has had a seizure ?
age sex PMH past psychiatric history alcohol and drug abuse family history
what gender are black outs more common in?
females
what is the most common cause of fainting?
vasovagal syncope
what are the warning symptoms of syncope?
- light headed
- nausea
- hot
- sweating
- ringing in ears
- tunnel vision
what are some causes of vasovagal syncope?
prolonged standing standing up quickly trauma watching/experiencing medical procedures eg. venipuncture micturition coughing
what posture is the person when they have a syncope attack ?
upright posture
- as less blood is getting to the brain
what posture is the person when they have a seizure?
any posture
does a person turn pale when they have a syncope attack ?
yes
are there warning signs with syncope?
yes
are there warning signs with a seizure?
no
- usually sudden onset
do people who have seizures turn pale?
no
is injury common with syncope?
no
- usually rare to be injured
is the recovery time for syncope faster compared to a seizure ?
yes
- usually recover fast unless they stand up quickly
do people who have seizures recover fast?
no
- they have a slow recovery
is incontinence common with people who have syncope attack?
incontinence is rare
what position should someone who has had a syncope attack be placed in to recover?
lie down with their legs up