Seizures Flashcards

1
Q

When is the highest incidence of seizures?

A

Childhood and late adulthood

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2
Q

What is epilepsy?

A

recurrent unprovoked seizsures

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3
Q

What is the pathophys of seizures?

A

Abnormal, excessive, hypersynchronous discharge from CNS neurons

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4
Q

Etiology of seizures for young adults (18-35)?

A
  • Trauma
  • Metabolic disorders (alcohol withdrawal, uremia)
  • CNS infection
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5
Q

Etiology of seizures for older adults (>35 yrs)

A
  • Cerebrovascular disease
  • Brain tumor
  • Metabolic issues
  • Degenerative disorders (alzheimer)
  • CNS infection
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6
Q

What is a focal seizure with retained awareness?

A

PARTIAL SEIZURE

  • one part of brain affected
  • presentation depends on focal area involved
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7
Q

What is a focal seizure with impaired awareness?

A

PARTIAL SEIZURE

  • One part of brain affected
  • Pt appears to be awake but no normal responses
  • No memory of what occured
  • automatisms
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8
Q

What are automatisms?

A
  • Facial grimacing
  • Gesturing
  • Lip smacking
  • Chewing
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9
Q

What part of the brain is involved with generalized seizures?

A

Entire brain

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10
Q

What is the most common type of generalized seizure?

A

Tonic-Clonic

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11
Q

What is happening during the tonic phase?

A

Sudden muscle stiffening

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12
Q

What is happening during the clonic phase?

A

Rhythmic jerking and tongue biting

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13
Q

How long to tonic-clonic phases last?

A

1-2 minutes

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14
Q

What are the other types of seizures?

A
  • Absence
  • Clonic
  • Atonic
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15
Q

What happens during the postictal phase?

A
  • Somnolence
  • Confusion
  • HA
  • No recollection
  • Weakness
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16
Q

How can you diagnose a seizure?

A

Video EEG monitor

17
Q

General first aid for seizure?

A
  • Maintain airway
  • Start IV
  • Blood work
18
Q

What blood work do we obtain for seizures?

A
  1. Electrolytes, LFT, CBC

2. Finger stick glucose

19
Q

Treatment for active seizure?

A
  • Diazepam 5mg IV/IM q5-10 max 30mg

* MEDEVAC

20
Q

What is an emergent seizure?

A

Status Eplilepticus

21
Q

What are the traits of a status epilepticus?

A
  • Lasts >/= to 5 minutes

* 2 or more seizures without complete recovery between

22
Q

What is the treatment for status epilepticus?

A
  • Diazepam 5mg IV/IM q5-10 min
  • Valporic acid
  • Airway
23
Q

What is different about a psychogenic noneplileptic seizure

A
  • Eyes are closed
  • Incontinence not an issue
  • Tonic-Clonic longer than 2 minutes
  • No postictal phase
  • Not associated with abnormal excessive neuronal activity
24
Q

Diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizure?

A

EEG shows no electrical activity

25
Q

Treatment for psychogenic nonepileptic seizure?

A

Psychotherapy

26
Q

What is a partial seizure?

A

Only involves part of the brain.

  • The part of the brain involved will have associated symptoms
  • Focal
27
Q

What is the most common seizure?

A

Partial seizure

28
Q

What are the two types of partial seizures?

A

Focal with awareness

Focal without awareness

29
Q

What is the difference between the two types of partial seizures?

A

Without awareness is without awareness

  • There’s also automatism such as;
  • facial grimace
  • gesturing
  • lip smacking
  • chewing
  • repeating words or phrases
30
Q

How are seizures treated?

A
  • First aid
  • Airway and maintain O2 sats
  • IV catheter
  • Diazepam 5mg IV/IM Max 30mg
31
Q

What is the mechanism of diazepam on seizures?

A

Assists with GABA neurotransmission to increase inhibition (Remember GABA is an amino acid neurotransmitter inhibits activity in the nervous system)

32
Q

What labs and imaging should be done for seizures?

A

Blood
* CBC, LFT, Electrolytes

Imaging
* EEG for Dx

33
Q

What area of the brain does a generalized seizure involve?

A

All of it

34
Q

What is the most common type of generalized seizure and what happens in it?

A

(Tonic - Clonic) / (Grand Mal)

Tonic
* Muscle Stiffening
Clonic
* Twitching/jerking

**1 -2 minutes

35
Q

What are some other types of generalized seizures>

A
  • Absence
  • Clonic
  • Atonic
36
Q

What happens during the postictal phase of seizures?

A
  • Confusion
  • Somnolence
  • No recollection typical
  • Weakness
37
Q

Treatment for status epilepticus?

A
  • Diazepam 5mg IV/IM
  • Valporic Acid
  • Correct underlying issue
  • Intubate
38
Q

How can you tell someone is faking and having a psychogenic nonepileptic seizure?

A
  • Episodes longer than 2 minutes
  • Can remember and recover immediately (no postictal phase)
  • Eyes closed

** EEG shows no changes in electrical activity