seizures

Question 1

What are the essentials of diagnosis of epilepsy?

Answer 1

recurrent seizures, characteristic EEG cahnges, mental status abnormalities.

Question 2

Are epileptic seizures provoked or unprovoked?

Answer 2

They are unprovoked episides that are recurrent.

Question 3

epipelsy peaks what which ages?

Answer 3

youth and then over 60

Question 4

What are the 3 categories of epilepsy?

Answer 4

genetic, structural/metabolic, unknown

Question 5

Genetic epilepsy are common in what population/

Answer 5

children. they are inherited autosomal dominant or channelopathies

Question 6

Structural/metabolic are associated with which age group?

Answer 6

adults.

Question 7

What are the different types of structural/metabolic epilepsy?

Answer 7

head trauma, tumor, CVA, infections like meningitis or herpes, alzheimers

Question 8

What are the 2 different type of focal onset seizures?

Answer 8

no alteration of consciousness( simple partial) and alteration of consciousness( complex partial)

Question 9

The simple partial seizures include which 2 types?

Answer 9

aura and motor/sensory/autonomic psychomotor.

Question 10

generalized onset includes which types of seizures?

Answer 10

tonic, clonic, atonic, myoclonic, absence.

Question 11

Are partial seizures affecting the entire brain, or just a portion of it?

Answer 11

they are affecting a portion of the brian, and they are usually conscious during them.

Question 12

Automatisms are common in which type of seizure?

Answer 12

complex partial seizures. this is where they smack lips, pick at clothes, walk aimlessly.

Question 13

Staring can occur in which type of seizure?

Answer 13

complex partial

Question 14

petit mal are common in which type of population/

Answer 14

children. They can spontaneously disappear with age. They are also called absence seizures.

Question 15

generalized tonic clonic seizures are AKA?

Answer 15

grand mal seizures

Question 16

A seizure that presents wtih staring spells lasting several seconds with eyelid fluttering and head nodding, and ability to resume activities is?

Answer 16

absence seizures.

Question 17

seizure presenting with sudeen loss consciousness, tonic then clonic activity of limbs, post ictal period for hours after is?

Answer 17

grand mal seizure.

Question 18

Which seizure is described as a drop attack that sx cause the patient to become limp and fall on the ground?

Answer 18

atonic seizure

Question 19

What is a seizure described as breif un sustained jerks or series of them. They end as fast as they start.

Answer 19

myoclonic seizure

Question 20

Wht is described as stiffening of the muscles as primary manifestation, the arms and legs can go up into the air, and consciousness may not be lost?

Answer 20

tonic seizures

Question 21

What is the most common type of seizure in adults?

Answer 21

complex partial seizures.

Question 22

What is on the differential for seizures?

Answer 22

GERD, breath holding spells, TIA, migrane, movement disorders, sleep disorders, arrhythmia.

Question 23

What shoudl you worry about in status epilepticus?

Answer 23

when they last more than 30 minutes they are at increased risk for brain damage, they will get increased CK levels from breakdown of muscles causing renal failure.

Question 24

Which drug would you treat status epilecticus with?

Answer 24

ativan.

Question 25

What is included in the workup of acute seizures?

Answer 25

BMP, ETOH, Drug screen, LP if considering meningitis or HSV, imaging to r/o brain tumor.

Question 26

When giving anti-seizure medications, what precautions do you have to take with child bearing age women?

Answer 26

they shoudl be on folate, contraceptive use, calcium.

Question 27

If you have a patient with mood issues, which drug would you wnat to avoid?

Answer 27

keppra

Question 28

What would be a good drug to use if they are bipolar?

Answer 28

lamictal

Question 29

which durg will cause weight gain, and which will cause weight loss?

Answer 29

weight gain- depakote, and topamax for weight loss.

Question 30

If they have a history of kidney stones which medications soudl you avoid?

Answer 30

topamax and zonegran.

Question 31

What is a rescue drug for seizuresa?

Answer 31

benzodiazepines

Question 32

which 2 are majorly teratorgenic?

Answer 32

valproic acid and phenobarb

Question 33

With refractory seizures, what steps would you want to take next?

Answer 33

video eeg monitoring to rule out a psychogenic cause of the seizures.

Question 34

which type of epilepsy is extremely refractory to medications?

Answer 34

temporal lobe epilepsy. tx surgically.

Question 35

SUDEP has a cure? t/f

Answer 35

there is an uknown reason for this occurence, and it happens spontaneously. could possibly be related to cardiac arrhythmias, but can occur in patients who are on their medication regimens.