Seizures Flashcards
1
Q
Causes of Seizures
A
- Hypoglycaemia
- Hypoxia
- Drug overdose
- Alcohol withdrawal
- Brain damage; stroke, head injury, infection
- Brain tumours
- Problems with the brains development in the womb (epilepsy)
- Psychogenic in cause
- Eclamptic seizures
2
Q
What is Epilepsy?
A
A neurological conditions which causes a person to have seizures where the electrical impulses in the brain become disrupted from their normal activity
3
Q
Types of Seizures
A
Focal:
- Focal Aware
- Focal Impaired
Generalised:
- Absecne
- Tonic Clonic
- The rest
4
Q
Focal Aware (Simple Partial)
A
- One side of the brain is affected.
- Pt doesn’t have any confusion, is aware of surroundings
- Symptoms vary but can include; flashing lights, nausea, abnormal sensation/shaking to one part of the body
5
Q
Focal Impaired Seizure
A
- Effect a larger part of the brain compared to focal aware
- Consciousness will be affected; may be confused, may hear you but not understand
- Can be post-ictal afterwards
6
Q
Absence Seizures
A
- Both sides of the brain are effected
- Pt has no awareness and will seem to have’ switched off’ and will be unresponsive for 10 to 30 seconds
- Unless had a large cluster, pt unlikely to have post-ictal symptoms
7
Q
Tonic Clonic
A
- Affects both sides of the brain or can spread from one side to the other
- Most commonly recognised seizure pattern
- Tonic - stiffness/rigidity
- Clonic - jerking movements
- Usually lasts between 1-3 mins
8
Q
Conditions in Which an Impulse Causes a Seizure
A
- Each neurones must be excited
- They must connect to many other neurones within a few synapses
- The message must also be large enough to cause other neurones to act the same way
- Under these conditions, the message spreads very quickly causing disrupted activity. It can effect a part of the brain (partial seizure) or spread to affect the whole brain
9
Q
Potential Causes to do with Neurones, Synapses and NT’s
A
- If neurones become damaged, this can change how they send signals
- If there are too little or too many NT’s, this affects how the neurones communicate, causing seizures
- Some neurones have slower than normal ion channels, meaning messages are not ‘turned off’ as quickly as they should be
- Some neurones have different synaptic receptors that receive the NT’s, making it difficult for neurones to ‘turn off’, so the neurone continues to send messages even after its not needed
10
Q
What’s Happening During a Seizure
A
- Electrical impulses are disrupted or too many are sent at once
- Neurones can sometimes send out an ‘abnormal’ message. This can then cause a larger than normal depolarisation. AAR making other neurones continuing to send out abnormal messages
11
Q
Signs and Symptoms; Aura
A
- Abnormal sensation eg particular smell/taste
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Vertigo
12
Q
Signs and Symptoms; Tonic Stage
A
- LOC, may fall
- Strong tonic spasm can force air out the lungs resulting in a cry or moan
- Saliva/Foam from the mouth
- Blood from biting tongue
- Chest stiffness - may impair breathing
- Gasping or gurgling sounds
- Trismus to the jaw/face
13
Q
Signs and Symptoms; Clonic Stage
A
- Jerking movements to the face, arms and legs
- After jerking stops and the body relaxes patients may lose control of their bowel and bladder
14
Q
Signs and Symptoms; Post-Ictal Stage
A
- Can be unconscious for up to several minutes while the brain recovers
- Confusion
- Exhaustion
- Memory loss
- Abnormal/combative behaviour if hypoxic/hypercapnic
15
Q
Signs and Symptoms for Psychogenic Cause
A
- Jerking that fluctuating in intensity and location
- Brief pauses, slower movements
- Arms/legs are not synchronised
- Some level of responsiveness eg speech, blinking, pain to IV/NPA
- Tongue biting very rare or very minor
- Eyes mostly shut/resist opening
- Mouth often shut
- May carry out purposeful movements
- Normal sats and ?hyperventilation
- Pelvic thrusting common
- Crying during/after convulsion
- Normal plantar response
- Rapid/no post ictal recovery
- Anti-epileptic medications will have no effect
