Pediatric Seizures

Question 1

Epilepsy

Answer 1

The presence of one or more seizures and a tendency to have more (> 60%)

Question 2

Absence seizure

Answer 2

Sudden on and offset
Staring, unresponsive to voice or touch
No post-ictal confusion

Question 3

Generalized tonic clonic

Answer 3

Sudden onset, no aura
Stiffening (tonic) and jerking (clonic)
Causes may vary

Question 4

Myoclonic seizure

Answer 4

Lightening fast jerk of an extremity, trunk, or whole body

May be caused by a variety of etiologies

Question 5

Atonic seizure

Answer 5

Loss of tone of the whole body

May be caused by a variety of etiologies

Question 6

Focal Motor seizure

Answer 6

Involvement of one side of the body with retention of awareness
May be caused by a focal abnormality of the brain or idiopathic cause
Can get Todd’s paralysis

Question 7

Infantile spasms

Answer 7

Flexor or extensor spasms in clusters
Associated with neuroregression (when you have the seizures it stops your development)
Usually caused by a symptomatic etiology (so catch and treat early)

Question 8

Acute symptomatic causes of seizures

Answer 8

Meningitis, encephalitis (will have fever)
Electrolyte imbalances
Trauma
Hypoxia
Drug withdrawal

Question 9

Status epilepticus

Answer 9

Medical emergency

Seizure lasting > 5 minutes or repetitive seizures without return to consciousness > 5 minutes

Question 10

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

Answer 10

1/1000 with epilepsy
Highest risk in those with GTC (especially nocturnal and poor compliance
Lower risk with nocturnal supervision