Paediatrics - Neurology and CAMHS Flashcards
what is a generalised tonic clonic seizure
loss of consciousness combined with muscle tensing and jerking movements.
may be associated with tongue biting, incontinence, groaning and irregular breathing
what is the management of tonic clonic seizures
first line: sodium valproate
second line: lamotrigine or carbamazepine
what are focal seizures
these are seizures which start in the temporal lobes and affect hearing, speech, memory and emotions
how can focal seizures present
hallucinations
memory flashbacks
deja vu
doing strange things on autopilot - lip smacking
what is the management of focal seizures
first line: carbamazepine or lamotrigine
second line: sodium valproate or levetiracetam
what is an absence seizure
typically happen in childhood
blank, staring into space and abruptly returns to normal. during the episode they are unaware of their surroundings and wont respond
what is the management for absence seizures
first line: sodium valproate or ethosuximide
what is an atonic seizure
drop attack - sudden lapses in muscle tone
dont normally last longer than 3 minutes
what can atonic seizures sometimes be indicative of
lennox gastaut syndrome
what is the management for atonic seizures
first line: sodium valproate
second line: lamotrigine
what is a myoclonic seizure
it is sudden brief muscle contractions - patient normally remains awake during the episode
typically happen as part of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
what is the management of myoclonic seizures
first line: sodium valproate
other options: lamotrigine, levetiracetam, topiramate
what are infantile spasms
West syndrome - rare disorder starting at 6 months of age characterised by clusters of full body spasms
what is the prognosis of infantile spasms
poor prognosis - 1/3 die by the age of 25 however 1/3 are seizure free
what are the treatments of infantile spasms
prednisolone
vigabatrin
what are febrile convulsions
seizures that occur in children whilst they are having a fever
not caused by epilepsy or other underlying neurological pathology
what age do febrile convulsions occur in
between 6 months and 5 years
how is epilepsy diagnosed
good history of the seizure
EEG performed after the second seizure
MRI brain
ECG
blood electrolytes
blood glucose
blood cultures, urine cultures and LP
when is MRI brain indicated after a seizure
- first seizure in a child under 2
- focal seizures
- no response to first line anti epileptic medications
what advice should be given where a seizure might put a child in danger and what they can do to stay safe
take showers over baths
be cautious with swimming unless seizures are well controlled and closely supervised
be cautious with heights
be cautious with traffic
be cautious with any heavy, hot or electrical equipment
older teenagers with epilepsy will need to avoid driving unless they meet specific criteria
what are side effects of sodium valproate
teratogenic
liver damage and hepatitis
hair loss
tremor
what are side effects of carbamazepine
Agranulocytosis
Aplastic anaemia
Induces the P450 system so there are many drug interactions
what are side effects of phenytoin
folate and vitamin D deficiency
megaloblastic anaemia
osteomalacia
what are side effects of ethosuximide
night terrors
rashes
what are side effects of lamotrigine
stevens-johnson syndrome/DRESS syndrome - life threatening skin rashes
leukopenia
what is status epilepticus
It is defined as a seizure lasting more than 5 minutes or 2 or more seizures without regaining consciousness in the interim.
how do you treat status epilepticus
ABCDE
Secure the airway
Give high-concentration oxygen
Assess cardiac and respiratory function
Check blood glucose levels
Gain intravenous access (insert a cannula)
IV lorazepam, repeated after 10 minutes if the seizure continues
If the seizures persist the final step is an infusion of IV phenobarbital or phenytoin. At this point intubation and ventilation to secure the airway
what medical options are there in the community for status epilepticus
buccal midazolam
rectal diazepam
what is a simple febrile convulsion
Simple febrile convulsions are generalised, tonic clonic seizures. They last less than 15 minutes and only occur once during a single febrile illness.
what are complex febrile convulsions
Febrile convulsions can be described as complex when they consist of partial or focal seizures, last more than 15 minutes or occur multiple times during the same febrile illness.
how are febrile convulsions diagnosed
need to exclude other neurological pathology
determine underlying cause of infection
what are differential diagnosis for febrile convulsion
Epilepsy
Meningitis, encephalitis or another neurological infection such as cerebral malaria
Intracranial space occupying lesions, for example brain tumours or intracranial haemorrhage
Syncopal episode
Electrolyte abnormalities
Trauma (always think about non accidental injury)
what is the management for febrile convulsions
identify and manage the underlying infection
control fever with paracetamol and ibuprofen
simple febrile convulsions require no further investigations, complex might
what advice would you give to parents on managing a seizure id a further episode occured
- Stay with the child
- Put the child in a safe place, for example on a carpeted floor with a pillow under their head
- Place them in the recovery position and away from potential sources of injury
- Don’t put anything in their mouth
- Call an ambulance if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes
how many children who have had one febrile convulsion will have another
one in three
what is the risk of developing epilepsy after a febrile convulsion
1.8% for the general population
2-7.5% after a simple febrile convulsion
10-20% after a complex febrile convulsion
what are breath holding spells in children
these are involuntary episodes during which a child holds their breath, usually triggered by something upsetting or scaring them
what age do breath holding spells typically occur between
6 and 18 months of age
what are the two types of breath holding spell
cyanotic breath holding spells
pallid breath holding spells
what are cyanotic breath holding spells
occur when a child is very upset, worked up and crying.
after a long cry they stop breathing, become cyanotic and loose consciousness
within a minute they regain consciousness and begin breathing again
what is a pallid breath holding spell/reflex anoxic seizure
occurs when a child is startled. the vagus nerve sends a strong signal to the heart which causes it to stop beating.
what are symptoms o a reflex anoxic seizure
the child will suddenly go pale, lose consciousness and may have some seizure like muscle twitching
within 30 seconds the heart restarts and the child regains consciousness
what is the management of breath holding spells
after excluding other pathology its about educating and reassuring parents about the spells
may be due to iron deficiency anaemia do treating the child if they are deficient can help minimise further episodes
what are causes of headaches in children
tension headaches
migraines
ear nose and throat infection
analgesic headache
problems with vision
raised intercranial pressure
brain tumours
meningitis
encephalitis
carbon monoxide poisoning
what are symptoms of tension headache
mild ache across forehead and pain or pressure in a band like pattern around the head.
typically symmetrical
can be non specific in younger children, they may become quiet, stop playing and go pale or tired
what can be triggers for tension headache in children
stress, fear or discomfort
skipping meals
dehydration
infection
how do you manage tension headache in children
reassurance
analgesia
regular meals
avoiding dehydration
reducing stress
what are the different types of migraine
migraine without aura
migraine with aura
silent migraine - aura without headache
hemiplegic migraine
abdominal migraine
what are the symptoms of a migraine
unilateral, severe, throbbing headache
visual aura
photophobia and phonophobia
nausea and vomiting
abdominal pain
what is the management of migraines in children
rest, fluids and low stimulus environment
paracetamol
ibuprofen
sumatriptan
antiemetics
what are options for migraine prophylaxis in children
propranolol
pizotifen (can cause drowsiness)
topiramate (teratogenic)
what is abdominal migraine
it is more common in children and presents with central abdominal pain lasting more than 1 hour with:
nausea and vomiting
anorexia
headache
pallor
what infections in children can cause a headache
viral upper respiratory tract infection
otitis media
sinusitis
tonsillitis
what is sinusitis
it is a headache associated with inflammation in the ethmoidal, maxillary, frontal or sphenoidal sinuses
what is cerebral palsy
permanent neurological problems resulting from damage to the brain around the time of birth
what are antenatal causes of cerebral palsy
maternal infections
trauma during pregnancy
what are perinatal causes of cerebral palsy
birth asphyxia
pre term birth
what are postnatal causes of cerebral palsy
meningitis
severe neonatal jaundice
head injury
what are the different types of cerebral palsy
spastic: hypertonia, and reduced function
dyskinetic: problems controlling muscle tone, hyper and hypotonia, athetoid movements and oro-motor issues
ataxic: issues with coordinated movement
mixed: spastic, dyskinetic and ataxic
what are the different patterns of spastic cerebral palsy
monoplegia
hemiplegia
diplegia
quadriplegia
what are signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy
failure to meet milestones
increased or decreased tone, generally or in specific limbs
hand preference below 18 months
problems with coordination, speech, walking
feeding or swallowing issues
learning difficulties
what does a hemiplegic/diplegic gain indicate
an upper motor neurone lesion
what does a broad based or ataxic gait indicate
cerebellar lesion
what does a high stepping gait indicate
foot drop or lower motor neurone lesion
what does a waddling gait indicate
pelvic muscle weakness due to myopathy
what does an antalgic gait indicate
limp - localised pain
what kind of gait may someone with cerebral palsy present with
a hemiplegic or diplegic gait caused by increased muscle tone and spasticity in the legs - legs extended with plantar flexion of feet and toes
will have signs of upper motor neurone lesion
what are complications and associated conditions with cerebral palsy
learning disability
epilepsy
kyphoscoliosis
muscle contractures
hearing and visual impairment
GORD
how is cerebral palsy managed
MDT approach
physiotherapy
occupational therapy
speech and language therapy
dieticians
orthopaedic surgeons
paediatricians
social workers
what medications may a child with cerebral palsy be taking
muscle relaxants (baclofen) for muscle spasticity and contractures
anti-epileptic drugs
glycopyrronium bromide - drooling
what is a squint
refers to misalignment of the eyes (also known as strabismus)
when the eyes arent aligned, it can cause double vision
what causes ‘lazy eye’
in childhood before the eyes have fully established their connections to the brain, the brain will cope with the misalignment of the eyes by reducing the signal from the less dominant eye. this results in one eye they use to see and one they ignore
what is amblyopia
this is when a lazy eye goes untreated and becomes more disconnected from the brain, and the issues becomes worse
what are concomitant squints
this is when there is differences in the control of the extra ocular muscles
what is a paralytic squint
this is where there is paralysis in one or more of the extra ocular muscles
what is esotropia
inward positioned squint - affected eye towards the nose
what is exotropia
outward positioned squint (affected eye towards the ear)
what is hypertropia
upward moving affected eye
what is hypotropia
downward moving affected eye
what are causes of squint in children
usually idiopathic
hydrocephalus
cerebral palsy
space occupying lesion
trauma