C HAPTER 22: A LTERATIONS IN
N EUROLOGICAL AND S ENSORY F UNCTION
1. A mother reports that her child has episodes in which he appears to be staring
into space. This behavior is characteristic of which type of seizure?
a. Absence
b. Atonic
c. Tonic-clonic
d. Simple partial
ANS: A
Absence seizures are very brief episodes of altered awareness. The child has a
blank expression. Atonic seizures cause an abrupt loss of postural tone, loss
of consciousness, confusion, lethargy, and sleep. Tonic-clonic seizures
involve sustained generalized muscle contractions followed by alternating
contraction and relaxation of major muscle groups. There is no change in
level of consciousness with simple partial seizures. Simple partial seizures
consist of motor, autonomic, or sensory symptoms.
2. What is the best response to a father who tells the nurse that his son daydreams at
home and his teacher has observed this behavior at school?
a. Your son must have an active imagination.
b. Can you tell me exactly how many times this occurs in one day?
c. Tell me about your sons activity when you notice the daydreams.
d. He is probably getting tired and needs a rest.
ANS: C
, The daydream episodes are suggestive of absence seizures and data about
activity associated with the daydreams should be obtained. Suggesting that
the child has an active imagination does not address the childs symptoms or
the fathers concern. The number of times the behavior occurs is consistent
with absence seizures, which can occur one after the other several times a
day.
Determining an exact number of absence seizures is not as useful as learning
about behavior before the seizure that might have precipitated seizure
activity. Blaming the seizures on rest ignores both the childs symptoms and
the fathers concern about the daydreaming behavior.
3. The nurse teaches parents to alert their healthcare provider about which adverse
effect when a child receives valproic acid (Depakene) to control generalized
seizures?
a. Weight loss
b. Bruising
c. Anorexia
d. Drowsiness
ANS: B
Thrombocytopenia is an adverse effect of valproic acid. Parents should be
alert for any unusual bruising or bleeding. Weight gain, not loss or anorexia,
is a side effect of valproic acid. Drowsiness is not a side effect of valproic
acid, although it is associated with other anticonvulsant medications.
4. A child with a head injury sleeps unless aroused, and when aroused responds
briefly before falling back to sleep. Which term corresponds to this childs level
of consciousness?
N EUROLOGICAL AND S ENSORY F UNCTION
1. A mother reports that her child has episodes in which he appears to be staring
into space. This behavior is characteristic of which type of seizure?
a. Absence
b. Atonic
c. Tonic-clonic
d. Simple partial
ANS: A
Absence seizures are very brief episodes of altered awareness. The child has a
blank expression. Atonic seizures cause an abrupt loss of postural tone, loss
of consciousness, confusion, lethargy, and sleep. Tonic-clonic seizures
involve sustained generalized muscle contractions followed by alternating
contraction and relaxation of major muscle groups. There is no change in
level of consciousness with simple partial seizures. Simple partial seizures
consist of motor, autonomic, or sensory symptoms.
2. What is the best response to a father who tells the nurse that his son daydreams at
home and his teacher has observed this behavior at school?
a. Your son must have an active imagination.
b. Can you tell me exactly how many times this occurs in one day?
c. Tell me about your sons activity when you notice the daydreams.
d. He is probably getting tired and needs a rest.
ANS: C
, The daydream episodes are suggestive of absence seizures and data about
activity associated with the daydreams should be obtained. Suggesting that
the child has an active imagination does not address the childs symptoms or
the fathers concern. The number of times the behavior occurs is consistent
with absence seizures, which can occur one after the other several times a
day.
Determining an exact number of absence seizures is not as useful as learning
about behavior before the seizure that might have precipitated seizure
activity. Blaming the seizures on rest ignores both the childs symptoms and
the fathers concern about the daydreaming behavior.
3. The nurse teaches parents to alert their healthcare provider about which adverse
effect when a child receives valproic acid (Depakene) to control generalized
seizures?
a. Weight loss
b. Bruising
c. Anorexia
d. Drowsiness
ANS: B
Thrombocytopenia is an adverse effect of valproic acid. Parents should be
alert for any unusual bruising or bleeding. Weight gain, not loss or anorexia,
is a side effect of valproic acid. Drowsiness is not a side effect of valproic
acid, although it is associated with other anticonvulsant medications.
4. A child with a head injury sleeps unless aroused, and when aroused responds
briefly before falling back to sleep. Which term corresponds to this childs level
of consciousness?
