patient report for seizures

The patient may be able to report a warning or aura and the feeling after the seizure. The presence of an aura, by definition, makes the diagnosis of a localization-related epilepsy

, because auras are “simple partial” seizures with subjective symptoms. However, not every warning symptom is an aura.

Full Answer

How to document seizure activity?

• Pathophysiology of seizures
• Assessment, diagnosis and classification of seizures
• Evidence based management of seizure activity
• Understanding of the rationale for anti-convulsant drug therapy

How to write a seizure?

Your plan should tell people:

• What your seizures look like, including signs that one is about to start
• What may trigger them
• How you want to be helped during a seizure
• What steps to take to keep you safe
• Whether your doctor has prescribed rescue medicines, and where to find information about them
• Emergency steps people should take

How do you deal with seizures?

What to do when someone has a seizure

• Protect them from injury (remove harmful objects from nearby)
• Cushion their head
• Look for an epilepsy identity card or identity jewellery – it may give you information about their seizures and what to do
• Time how long the seizure lasts
• Aid breathing by gently placing them in the recovery position once the jerking has stopped (see picture)

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What happens during a seizure?

During a seizure, many things may happen. Sufferers may lose the ability to swallow, have difficulty speaking, experience twitching or jerking movements in the body, and even experience convulsions. They may lose consciousness, see flashing lights, experience visual hallucinations, and feel out of body sensations.

How do you write a seizure report?

If known, when the seizure started, was the person awake or asleep? Was the person restless or did they cry out before the seizure started? Was there any trigger for the seizure (such as feeling tired or stressed)? What position were they in when the seizure happened or when they were found?

What should be documented when a patient has a seizure?

Documentation of initial medical history and physical should include the date of seizure onset, type and frequency of seizures, description of typical seizures, previous antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) used, and the date of the last seizure.

How do you assess a patient after a seizure?

After the seizure, assess him for respirations and a pulse. If they're present and he's unresponsive, turn him onto his side to help keep his airway patent. If necessary, insert an oral airway and use suction to remove secretions. Take his vital signs.

What do you monitor during a seizure?

What should I look for during a seizure?Prodrome: behaviors or feelings that occur hours to days before a seizure.Aura: the actual start of a seizure and may be thought of as a 'warning'Ictus: the seizure event.Postictal: the recovery period after the seizure.

How do you describe seizure activity?

Seizures symptoms vary and can include a sudden change in awareness or full loss of consciousness, unusual sensations or thoughts, involuntary twitching or stiffness in the body or severe stiffening and limb shaking with loss of consciousness (a convulsion.)

Where would you record information about a clients seizure?

A seizure diary is a good way of recording information about your epilepsy.

How do nurses describe seizures?

A seizure is an abnormal, unregulated electrical discharge that occurs within the brain's cortical gray matter and transiently interrupts normal brain function; a seizure typically causes altered awareness, abnormal sensations, focal involuntary movements, or convulsions (widespread violent involuntary contraction of ...

What is the priority action for a client experiencing a seizure?

The priorities when caring for a patient who is seizing are to maintain a patent airway, protect the patient from injury, provide care during and following the seizure and documenting the event in the health record.

What are seizure precautions?

Seizure precautions can include water and heat safety in the form of taking showers rather than baths and cooking on the back burner of the stove. It also may include minimizing the use of ladders and fall-proofing one's house.

How do you manage seizures?

First AidKeep other people out of the way.Clear hard or sharp objects away from the person.Don't try to hold them down or stop the movements.Place them on their side, to help keep their airway clear.Look at your watch at the start of the seizure, to time its length.Don't put anything in their mouth.

How do you diagnose seizures?

Diagnostic imaging procedures such as brain MRI, MRS, PET, and fMRI help the doctor ascertain characteristics of the seizures such as their place of origin (focus or foci) in the brain.

How long does a seizure last?

Most seizures last from 30 seconds to two minutes. A seizure that lasts longer than five minutes is a medical emergency. Seizures are more common than you might think. Seizures can happen after a stroke, a closed head injury, an infection such as meningitis or another illness.

What is the classification of seizures?

Cognitive or emotional symptoms, such as fear, anxiety or deja vu. Doctors generally classify seizures as either focal or generalized, based on how and where abnormal brain activity begins. Seizures may also be classified as unknown onset, if how the seizure began isn't known.

How many hours apart can you have two seizures?

It can cause changes in your behavior, movements or feelings, and in levels of consciousness. Having two or more seizures at least 24 hours apart that aren't brought on by an identifiable cause is generally considered to be epilepsy. There are many types of seizures, which range in symptoms and severity. Seizure types vary by where in the brain ...

What are the different types of seizures?

Different types of generalized seizures include: Absence seizures. Absence seizures, previously known as petit mal seizures, often occur in children and are characterized by staring into space or by subtle body movements, such as eye blinking or lip smacking.

What is a focal seizure?

Focal seizures. Focal seizures result from abnormal electrical activity in one area of your brain. Focal seizures can occur with or without loss of consciousness: Focal seizures with impaired awareness. These seizures involve a change or loss of consciousness or awareness that feels like being in a dream.

What happens if you fall during a seizure?

If you fall during a seizure, you can injure your head or break a bone. Drowning. If you have a seizure while swimming or bathing, you're at risk of accidental drowning. Car accidents. A seizure that causes loss of either awareness or control can be dangerous if you're driving a car or operating other equipment.

Can seizures cause tingling?

Some people have nausea or unusual feelings that are difficult to describe. These seizures may also result in difficulty speaking, involuntary jerking of a body part, such as an arm or a leg, and spontaneous sensory symptoms such as tingling, dizziness and seeing flashing lights.

What to record about a seizure

Everyone is individual and people react in different ways to their seizures and in how they recover. Some people cannot remember what happened to them during a seizure, some like to be talked to during their seizures and as they recover, and some need to sleep afterwards.

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How do you know if you have a seizure?

General symptoms or warning signs of a seizure can include: Falling suddenly for no apparent reason, especially when associated with loss of conscious ness. Nodding your head rhythmically, when associated with loss of awareness or loss of consciousness.

How often do seizures occur?

These seizures tend to occur in clusters. This means that they may occur several times a day, or for several days in a row .

How long does a seizure last?

This is also called petit mal seizure. This seizure causes a brief changed state of consciousness and staring. You will likely maintain your posture. Your mouth or face may twitch or your eyes may blink rapidly. The seizure usually lasts no longer than 30 seconds. When the seizure is over, you may not recall what just occurred. You may go on with your activities as though nothing happened. These seizures may occur several times a day.

What causes a seizure in the brain?

A seizure occurs when one or more parts of the brain has a burst of abnormal electrical signals that interrupt normal brain signals. Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure. This includes a high fever, high or low blood sugar, alcohol or drug withdrawal, or a brain concussion.

What is focal seizure?

Focal (partial) seizures. Focal seizures take place when abnormal electrical brain function occurs in one or more areas of one side of the brain. Before a focal seizure, you may have an aura, or signs that a seizure is about to occur. This is more common with a complex focal seizure. The most common aura involves feelings, such as deja vu, ...

What is it called when you have 2 seizures?

But when a person has 2 or more seizures with no known cause, this is diagnosed as epilepsy . There are different types of seizures. The type of seizure depends on which part and how much of the brain is affected and what happens during the seizure.

What are the phases of a grand mal seizure?

The classic form of this kind of seizure has 5 distinct phases. Your body, arms, and legs will flex (contract), extend (straighten out), and tremor (shake). This is followed by contraction and relaxation of the muscles (clonic period) and the postictal period.

What to do if you have a seizure?

Knowing what NOT to do is important for keeping a person safe during or after a seizure. Never do any of the following things. Do not hold the person down or try to stop his or her movements. Do not put anything in the person’s mouth.

How many people have a seizure in their lifetime?

Learn what you can do to keep that person safe until the seizure stops by itself. About 1 out of 10 people may have a seizure during his or her lifetime.

What happens if you have a seizure in water?

The person has another seizure soon after the first one. The person is hurt during the seizure. The seizure happens in water. The person has a health condition like diabetes, heart disease, or is pregnant.

How long does it take for a seizure to end?

Most seizures end in a few minutes. These are general steps to help someone who is having any type seizure: Stay with the person until the seizure ends and he or she is fully awake. After it ends, help the person sit in a safe place.

How to stop a seizure from hurting?

This can prevent injury. Put something soft and flat, like a folded jacket, under his or her head. Remove eyeglasses. Loosen ties or anything around the neck that may make it hard to breathe. Time the seizure.

What is the name of the seizure that causes a person to cry out?

First aid for generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures. When most people think of a seizure, they think of a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, also called a grand mal seizure. In this type of seizure, the person may cry out, fall, shake or jerk, and become unaware of what’s going on around them.

Do you call 911 for a seizure?

Seizures do not usually require emergency medical attention. Only call 911 if one or more of these are true: The person has never had a seizure before. The person has difficulty breathing or waking after the seizure. The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes. The person has another seizure soon after the first one.

What are the expected outcomes of a seizure nursing care plan?

Below are the common expected outcomes for seizure nursing care plan: Patient will verbalize understanding of factors that contribute to the possibility of trauma and or suffocation and take steps to correct the situation. Patient will identify actions or measures to take when seizure activity occurs.

What happens if you restrain a patient during a seizure?

Note: If the attempt is made to restrain the patient during a seizure, erratic movements may increase, and the patient may injure self or others. Note pre-seizure activity, presence of aura or unusual behavior, type of seizure activity (location or duration of motor activity, and frequency or recurrence.

What is the cause of a seizure?

Seizures can be caused by head injuries, brain tumors, lead poisoning, maldevelopment of the brain, genetic and infectious illnesses, and fevers. Sensory symptoms arise from the parietal lobe; motor symptoms arise from the frontal lobe.

What is a seizure in the brain?

Seizures are physical findings or changes in behavior caused by uncontrolled electrical firing or discharges from the nerve cells of the cerebral cortex and are characterized by sudden, brief attacks of altered consciousness, motor activity and sensory phenomena.

What are the signs of toxicology in nursing?

The nurse should monitor the patient for signs of toxicity: nystagmus, ataxia, lethargy, dizziness, slurred speech, nausea, and vomiting. It is also the duty of the nurse to provide support to the family and answering questions and correcting misconceptions that surround it.

Treatment

• Not everyone who has one seizure will have another one, and because a seizure can be an isolated incident, your doctor may not decide to start treatment until you've had more than one. The optimal goal in seizure treatment is to find the best possible therapy to stop seizures, with the fewest side effects.

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