...types of seizures. They are classified in 3 major categories. The first being Focal Onset, the second being Generalized Onset, and the last being Unknown Onset. When the person is awake during a seizure this is called Focal Onset Aware Seizure. When the person is confused or their awareness is affected in some way during the seizure this is called Focal Onset Impaired Awareness. Focal Seizures start in one side of the brain. When a person is having a Generalized Onset Seizure these seizures affect both sides of the brain at the same time. Some of Generalized Onset Seizures include Tonic-Clonic, Absence, and Atonic. An Unknown Onset Seizure is when the beginning of the seizure is not known, or when no one witnessed or seen it. When a seizure happens at...
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...Seizure Precautions for Pediatric Bedside Nurses Over the course of their careers, many inpatient pediatric nurses will care for a patient with seizures or who is at risk for seizures. Although often anxiety-provoking, the fear can be diminished by thinking critically about each child’s seizure. The nursing management of pediatric seizures, for which patient safety is the priority, should be driven by the clinical presentation of the child’s event. This article will present an algorithm to assist bedside nurses in safely caring for children with a variety of seizure types. The algorithm can be used as a road map to assist staff nurses in safely and appropriately stocking patients’ bedsides with emergency equipment as needed for children with seizures. However, to understand the clinical symptoms of a seizure, it is important to first review basic pathophysiology and seizure classification. What Is a Seizure? Seizures are a common neurologic disorder of childhood, and many pediatric nurses will care for children with epilepsy during their careers. The term “seizure precautions” is used frequently in nursing practice; however, its definition varies among institutions. Childhood epilepsy has many phenotypes, and while some children require airway clearance and ventilatory support in the event of a seizure, many will not. The bedside equipment for a child with seizures should reflect the patient’s symptoms. To that end, an algorithm based on seizure classification and current...
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...independence, and their jobs. Depending on the disorder and severity determines treatment options that can affect the person financially. With today's medicine, technology, and resources people can manage and live a life. Learning to live with a chronic disorder can be emotional and takes time to accept. Millions of people worldwide live with epilepsy. One in twenty-six will develop epilepsy. The causes are unknown in two-thirds of patients. This neurological disorder causes a disruption in brain cells, which can cause seizures, sensations, unusual behavior, or loss of consciousness. Epilepsy treatment depends on the severity and frequency of seizures, a person's overall health, medical history, and age. These treatments may include medication, diets, surgery, epilepsy devices, and epilepsy first aid. A young woman, Nichole was nineteen years old, and just completed an emergency medical technician (EMT) school when she had her first grand mal seizure. She had to learn about and how to live with this disorder. As a way to help herself and others, she began posting videos titled Nichole's epilepsy on youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1BIjErzoq8oH9apq_DPpiw. She shares her feelings of depression and the loss of her independence. Over time, she found a way to focus on what epilepsy has given her such as advocacy, the realization of her support system and the kindness all around her. Though she discusses her loss, she has not allowed it to keep her from having...
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...disturbed, causing the person to have seizures. It can cause strange sensations, emotions, and behaviors. Anything that can disturb the normal pattern of neuron activity can lead to a seizure. Such as, illness,brain damage, abnormal brain development, stroke,brain tumor, and drug and alcohol misuse. The cause of most cases are unknown. Having one seizure due to a elevating fever, called febrile seizures, or a simple head injury does not mean that person has epilepsy. Usually two or more will determine if that person has epilepsy, but not in all cases. A confirmation of epilepsy is done by a test that measures the electrical activity in the brain and brain scans called electroencephalogram or EEG. There are six main types of generalized seizures: tonic-clonic,tonic,clonic,myoclonic,absense, and atonic. They all will involve loss of consciousness and typically will happen without warning. Tonic-clonic seizures present with a contraction of the limbs lasting about 10-30 seconds called a tonic phase. Followed by a shaking of the limbs in unison. This is called the clonic phase. A person will often turn blue as breathing has stopped. Once the clonic phase has stopped it usually takes about 3-15 minutes for the person to return to normal but can last for hours. This period is called the postictal state or phase. Common symptoms of this phase may include feeling tired, headache, difficulty speaking,and abnormal behavior. Psychosis after a seizure is very common. The person will not...
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...When these seizures start, they are sudden and without warning. (Freeman, Pillas and Vining) They can last from 10 seconds to 20 seconds, but they usually never go past 20 seconds. (Devinsk) When the seizure ends, the patient does not know what happed. Generally they continue doing what they were doing before they had a seizure. Absence start in children at the age of 4 through 14. 7 out of 10 kids will not continue to have absence seizures after the age of 18. (Sirven and Shafer) Children that have absence seizures, development normally but, generally have learning and behavioral...
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...Epilepsy "Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by short, recurrent, periodic attacks of sensory and motor malfunctions called seizures. Epileptic seizures are initiated by abnormal discharges of electricity from the brain. They occur suddenly and overwhelm the patient without any possibility of avoiding the fit. Seizures are brief, lasting from seconds to minutes. "The negative phenomenon that a patient might experience as a result of seizures is loss of awareness, loss of muscle tone, or loss of language."3 A nonepileptic seizure, one that is not caused by epilepsy, is an episode of abnormal behavior that is not caused by a disturbance in brain activity, but by some other problem. Abrupt drops the blood pressure, an imbalance...
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...characterized by a tendency for recurrent seizures. Nurses play an important role in managing patients with Epilepsy. From teaching patients about how to modify their risk factors, administering various medications, and providing pre- and post- care to patients undergoing epileptic action, nurses are in an important position to improve the outcomes of patients experiencing it. PATIENT’S DATA AND HISTORY Patient C is a male and Malay, 21 years of age, with a history of seizures since birth. He is otherwise in good health. His current diagnosis is temporal lobe epilepsy. Patient C experiences focal seizures (“complex partial” and focal seizures that evolve bilaterally). He states the he is aware that a seizure is going to occur because he has a very brief “strange sensation”. This sensation is his aura. After the aura, the patient cannot recall any other events until the postictal period. During the postictal period, patient C is fatigued and confused and often experiences headaches. Witnesses have noticed a typical pattern to patient C’s seizures. First, he becomes very quiet and blank. He’ll not communicate or respond to other individuals. He experiences vocalizations and yell in a very loud voice, “Ya Allah”. During the vocalizations, patient C will experience automatisms that include pulling at her clothing. Usually, the seizure ends after approximately 60 seconds, and he regains consciousness within several minutes. At other times, the seizure will evolve, and he’ll...
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...Epilepsy Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes abnormal brain activity that causes seizure activity, unusual behavior and sometimes loss of awareness. Epilepsy affects females and males of all ethnic background and race. Children will sometimes outgrow epilepsy and some will live throughout adult hood. Some symptoms of epilepsy are confusion, uncontrollable jerking, and loss of consciousness, many other symptoms depend on the type of seizure that the person is having. The different types of seizures are focal seizures that is when the abnormal activity affects one are of the brain. Seizures that affect all parts of the brain generalized seizures, there is six types of generalized seizures, the absence seizure also called...
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...Epilepsy involves seizure activity caused by a group of CNS neurons displaying hyper-excitability. During these seizures, there is a disturbance of the electrical conduction system of the brain interfering with consciousness, motor skills, and sensation. In a healthy nervous system a movement of sodium and calcium through specific channels generates action potentials. Neurotransmitters are released either causing excitation or inhibition. Epilepsy involves changes in sodium channels, calcium influx, or sometimes a reduction of GABA. Epilepsy is considered to be the result of the interactions of genetic mutations with environmental factors that cause abnormalities in the brain conduction system, an imbalance of neurotransmitters, or the development...
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...What is a seizure? A seizure is an increase of electrical activity in the brain. A seizure can influence a person’s behavior for a brief period. A seizure can alter what the brain and body does normally. Many people think that seizures are some sort of disease but, it all boils down to changes in chemicals within the nerve cells. During a seizure brain cells get excited or prevent other brain cells from sending their routine messages. In some cases in the presence of a seizure, there could be too much activity or too little activity. Seizures are an indication that a potential disorder is affecting the brain. The reality is some seizures can hardly be noticed, other seizure while other seizures can greatly reduce function. Different lobes of...
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...known as a seizure disorder is a chronic brain disorder that stops the normal electrical flow to the brain causing seizures. PubMed Health (2012) states “Epilepsy occurs when permanent changes in brain tissue cause the brain to be too excitable or jumpy.” Epilepsy is a subject near to my heart due to my boyfriend’s daily battles with this disease. He is either taking a drug store worth of pills every day or he risks of having a seizure. According to A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia (2012) “A seizure is a sudden brief change in the electrical and chemical activity in your brain” The attack only takes a few minutes, and once it is over, the victim is tired and confused as he regains consciousness. Epilepsy is one of the earliest forms of mental diseases that were recorded in history. Epilepsy occurs when the clusters of cells or neurons signal abnormally affecting the brain. Normally, the neurons act as information highways in the body as they determine the feelings that someone gets. In the case, where one has epilepsy the neurons normal activity pattern is disturbed causing the body to react in a funny manner ranging from strange feelings, convulsions, muscle spasms, and even loss of consciousness. Epilepsy affects all people differently, attacking frequently in some, while in others attacking only seldom. Epilepsy can be attributed to the seizures, but having seizures can not necessarily mean one has epilepsy. The fact that someone is experiencing seizures may show...
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...Jackson Weber? The priority problem identify for Jackson Weber are: Safety – The side rail should be paddled and the seizure pad should be in place to secure the patient to avoid injuries. Maintaining an open airway at the bedside – it is important to apply oxygen in order to maintain...
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...Febrile seizure is a convulsion that a pediatric can experience that is instigated by a rapid increase or decrease in a fever. An episode of febrile seizure can be extremely terrifying to a parent or caretaker. One important piece of knowledge can help ease the discomforting witness of a febrile seizer. For most febrile seizure episodes, harm usually does not come to the febrile seizure patient and it also does not mean that the child has a more serious underlying health problem. When a febrile seizure occurs, the pediatric will more often than not lose consciousness and experience tonic-clonic moving all extremities about in possible a thrashing motion. Although tonic-clonic is most common, in rare instances the pediatric will have periods of muscle rigidity or have localized seizures, like an arm or a leg on only one side. Febrile seizures can last ranging from a few seconds up to an astonishing 15 minutes or more, on average a febrile seizure commonly lasts only a few minutes. According to research and studies that have been done on febrile seizures, most of the febrile seizures occur when the rectal temperature of the pediatric reaches or exceeds one hundred and two degrees Fahrenheit. The onset of a febrile seizure usually occurs in the first twenty four hours of the fevers onset. With pediatrics who...
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...------------------------------------------------- Midterm Review PT-16 Studyguide 1. ABC approach: A= antecedent, B=behavior, C=consequence * Preventative approaches * Attempts to alter antecedents * Seeks to understand the purpose of function of the behavior * Behavior is presumed to have some reinforcing function 2. Acquired disorders: due to an injury. 3. Akathesia: A syndrome characterized by an inability to remain seated, with motor restlessness and a feeling of muscular quivering; may appear as a side effect of antipsychotic and neuroleptic medication. 4. Asymmetric tonic neck reflex (ATNR): A primitive reflex, also called fencer’s response, found in infants, usually is no longer evident by 3 months of age. When neck is turned in one direction, the arm shoots out on the same side and flexes on the opposite side; similar changes occur in the legs. 5. Athetoid diplegia: A form of cerebral palsy primarily seen where there is no muscle control in which the legs are more affected than the arms. 6. Athetoid hemiplegia: A form of cerebral palsy which is a form of dyskinetic cerebral palsy associated with athetosis (constant random, writhing involuntary movements of the limbs. One side of the body is more affected than the other; usually, the arm is more affected than the leg. Because the motor neurons that control one side of the body are located in the opposite cerebral cortex, a right-side hemiplegia implies damage to or dysfunction of...
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...are actively growing Grade IV * Cells in malignant tissue look most abnormal * Cells tend to grow quickly THE CAUSES of BRAIN CANCER * Individuals with risk factors; * Oil refinery job * Chemist * Embalmer * Rubber-industry worker * Families have several members with brain cancer, though, hereditary aspects has not yet been proven * Other risk factors (not yet proven); * Smoking * Radiation exposure * Viral infection (HIV) NOTE: There is no good evidence that brain cancer is contagious, caused by head trauma or cell phone use. THE SIGNS and SYMPTOMS * Most common symptoms: * Weakness * Difficulty walking * Seizures * headaches * Other common symptoms: * Nausea * Vomiting * Blurry vision *...
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