Galen NUR 242 Exam 4 - Neuro
What is a seizure? - ✔️✔️Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain that causes
disruption in brain activity
Assesssment of epilepsy - ✔️✔️details about the seizure activity, family history,
collateral medical conditions (stroke, HTN, TBI)
Seizure risk factors - ✔️✔️Vascular
Infection or Inherited condition
Trauma
Alzheimers or Autoimmune
Metabolic derangements
Idiopathic
Neoplasm
S - pSychiatric/pSeudoseizure
What can trigger a seizure? - ✔️✔️sleep deprivation, stress, alcohol withdrawl, food
What auras have been associated with epilepsy? - ✔️✔️somatic rising epigastric
sensation, hallucinations, halos
What is a partial seizure? - ✔️✔️a seizure that affects only one part of brain
What is a simple partial seizure? - ✔️✔️(also known as focal aware) is where the
person has no loss of consciousness and localized signs such as jerking movements;
last 10-20 seconds; autonomic symptoms
What is a complex partial seuizure? - ✔️✔️altered and impaired, may not have an aura
but can lead to a general seizure; lasts 1-2 minutes
What is a generalized seizure? - ✔️✔️affects the brain as a whole; differentiated by
how they appear during observation
absence seizure - ✔️✔️seizure involving a brief loss of consciousness without motor
involvement; look to be staring off into space; lasts seconds
tonic-clonic seizure - ✔️✔️generalized seizure in which the patient loses
consciousness and has jerking movements of paired muscle groups
myoclonic seizure - ✔️✔️sudden jerk of the body or extremities that lasts seconds
, atonic seizure - ✔️✔️loss of muscle tone
Acute seizure management - ✔️✔️gather history, determine underlying cause,
observation and documentation, side lying position, no restraints, DO NOT ATTEMPT
TO STOP MOVEMENTS
What are the abortive therapies for migraines? - ✔️✔️Fioricet, NSAIDS, Triptans and
ergotamines
When is abortive therapy contraindicated for migraine treatment? - ✔️✔️heart disease
What is the best initial treatment for migraine - ✔️✔️triptan derivative (ex: Imitrex)
What is epilepsy? - ✔️✔️recurrent, unprovoked seizures (at least 2, with no
immediately identifiable cause)
What are you observing and documenting during a seizure? - ✔️✔️durations, types of
movements, ongoing observations, post-ictal assessment, patient safety
Acute seizure treatment - ✔️✔️patent IV, suction, oxygen, padded side rails, pillow,
privacy, benzodiazapines(ativan, valium), antiepileptics (phenytoin,phosphenytoin)
status epilepticus - ✔️✔️A condition in which seizures recur every few minutes or last
more than 30 minutes
Priorities for status epilepticus - ✔️✔️establish airway, ABGs, IV push
lorazepam/diazepam, rectal diazepam (if not IV), loading dose of IV phenytoin
Dilantin is caustic to the veins and should not be pushed any faster than - ✔️✔️50mg
per min
Diagnostic workup for epilepsy - ✔️✔️EEG, CT/MRI, excluse other causes, labs
What labs are needed epilepsy? - ✔️✔️electrolytes, drug levels
What is the normal level for phenytoin - ✔️✔️10-20
What is the normal level for cabamazepine - ✔️✔️8-12
What is the normal level for valproic acid - ✔️✔️50-125
What is a seizure? - ✔️✔️Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain that causes
disruption in brain activity
Assesssment of epilepsy - ✔️✔️details about the seizure activity, family history,
collateral medical conditions (stroke, HTN, TBI)
Seizure risk factors - ✔️✔️Vascular
Infection or Inherited condition
Trauma
Alzheimers or Autoimmune
Metabolic derangements
Idiopathic
Neoplasm
S - pSychiatric/pSeudoseizure
What can trigger a seizure? - ✔️✔️sleep deprivation, stress, alcohol withdrawl, food
What auras have been associated with epilepsy? - ✔️✔️somatic rising epigastric
sensation, hallucinations, halos
What is a partial seizure? - ✔️✔️a seizure that affects only one part of brain
What is a simple partial seizure? - ✔️✔️(also known as focal aware) is where the
person has no loss of consciousness and localized signs such as jerking movements;
last 10-20 seconds; autonomic symptoms
What is a complex partial seuizure? - ✔️✔️altered and impaired, may not have an aura
but can lead to a general seizure; lasts 1-2 minutes
What is a generalized seizure? - ✔️✔️affects the brain as a whole; differentiated by
how they appear during observation
absence seizure - ✔️✔️seizure involving a brief loss of consciousness without motor
involvement; look to be staring off into space; lasts seconds
tonic-clonic seizure - ✔️✔️generalized seizure in which the patient loses
consciousness and has jerking movements of paired muscle groups
myoclonic seizure - ✔️✔️sudden jerk of the body or extremities that lasts seconds
, atonic seizure - ✔️✔️loss of muscle tone
Acute seizure management - ✔️✔️gather history, determine underlying cause,
observation and documentation, side lying position, no restraints, DO NOT ATTEMPT
TO STOP MOVEMENTS
What are the abortive therapies for migraines? - ✔️✔️Fioricet, NSAIDS, Triptans and
ergotamines
When is abortive therapy contraindicated for migraine treatment? - ✔️✔️heart disease
What is the best initial treatment for migraine - ✔️✔️triptan derivative (ex: Imitrex)
What is epilepsy? - ✔️✔️recurrent, unprovoked seizures (at least 2, with no
immediately identifiable cause)
What are you observing and documenting during a seizure? - ✔️✔️durations, types of
movements, ongoing observations, post-ictal assessment, patient safety
Acute seizure treatment - ✔️✔️patent IV, suction, oxygen, padded side rails, pillow,
privacy, benzodiazapines(ativan, valium), antiepileptics (phenytoin,phosphenytoin)
status epilepticus - ✔️✔️A condition in which seizures recur every few minutes or last
more than 30 minutes
Priorities for status epilepticus - ✔️✔️establish airway, ABGs, IV push
lorazepam/diazepam, rectal diazepam (if not IV), loading dose of IV phenytoin
Dilantin is caustic to the veins and should not be pushed any faster than - ✔️✔️50mg
per min
Diagnostic workup for epilepsy - ✔️✔️EEG, CT/MRI, excluse other causes, labs
What labs are needed epilepsy? - ✔️✔️electrolytes, drug levels
What is the normal level for phenytoin - ✔️✔️10-20
What is the normal level for cabamazepine - ✔️✔️8-12
What is the normal level for valproic acid - ✔️✔️50-125
