SEIZURES

SUMMARY

1. Seizures: paroxysmal electrical discharges of the brain that cause loss of consciousness; alteration of perception or impairment of psychic function; convulsive movements; disturbance of sensation; or some combination thereof.

2. Seizures: primary vs secondary. Early seizures present in 2% of strokes.

3. Seizures: focal vs. general
• Focal (or partial) seizures involve 1 side of the brain. These are noted for motor activity on 1 side of the body (usually) and no impairment of consciousness.
• Generalized seizures involve both hemispheres of the brain and result in diminished consciousness. Any motor activity generally involves both sides of the body (but not necessarily).

4. Epilepsy: condition of recurrent, unprovoked seizures.

5. Status spilepticus: prolonged or repetitive convulsive seizures that can be life-threatening.

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].