Seizures

myoclonic

A _________________ seizure involves bilateral jerking of muscles, generalized or confined to the face, trunk, or one or more extremities

tonic clonic

A __________________ seizure often begins with tonic contraction of the muscles with extension of the extremities and immediate loss of consciousness.

bilateral jerking

A myoclonic seizure involves ____________________ of muscles, generalized or confined to the face, trunk, or one or more extremities

extension

A tonic-clonic seizure often begins with tonic contraction of the muscles with ________________ of the extremities and immediate loss of consciousness.

complete blood count

Although weight loss and anorexia may occur, ethosuximide is associated with bone marrow suppression, including potentially fatal pancytopenia, so it would be most important for the nurse to monitor the client's ______________________

Zarontin

Ethosuximide (_____________) is considered the drug of choice for treating absence seizures and is in the succinide family

Amygdala

For seizure disorders that do not respond to anticonvulsant medications, the option for surgical treatment exists. What is removed in the most common surgery for seizure disorders?

rash

GI upset, headache, rash, and dizziness are all adverse reactions of lamotrigine. The most important teaching point to emphasize is to notify the health care provider if a ___________ appears

status epilepticus

In a person taking medications for a diagnosed seizure disorder, the most common cause of ______________________ is abruptly stopping the antiseizure medications

birth control

Oxcarbazepine causes the circulating levels of oral contraceptives to decrease by up to half. The nurse should teach the client that she will need to use an additional form of ____________________.

sodium

Phenytoin (Dilantin) is the prototype drug that controls seizures by decreasing ______________ influx into the cells.

lorazepam

The nurse is caring for a client in the emergency department who is experiencing status epilepticus. The client's electronic medical record reveals a recent diagnosis of tonic clonic seizures and prescription for phenytoin. The priority action is to administer the drug of choice for status epilepticus, which is ____________________, a short-acting benzodiazepine.

automatisms

The nurse reports that the client exhibited ______________, defined as repetitive nonpurposeful activities such as lip smacking, grimacing, patting and/or rubbing clothing.

renal

The nurse should know that carbamazepine is contraindicated among clients with ____________ impairment.

CNS depression

The nurse should monitor _______________________ in the patient undergoing phenobarbital treatment.

4, 12

Therapeutic serum carbamazepine levels range from _____ to ____ mcg/mL.

generalized

Tonic-clonic seizures and myoclonic seizures are classified as ___________________ seizures

fever

What is a common risk for epileptic seizures during late infancy to early childhood?

Liver toxicity

What should the nurse include as a possible adverse effect when teaching a client about phenytoin?

respirations

When caring for a patient who has been administered phenobarbital, the nurse should observe ____________________ frequently.

Osteoporosis

When educating a patient about the use of antiseizure medication, what should the nurse inform the patient is a result of long-term use of the medication in women?

generalized

When seizure activity begins simultaneously in both cerebral hemispheres, it is considered a _________________ seizure.

absence

While speaking with a client, the nurse notes that the client stares off, unblinking. The nurse notes that after several prompts, the client blinks rapidly and then resumes normal conversation. This behavior is consistent with what type of seizure?

Focal

_____________ seizures with impairment of consciousness sometimes referred to as psychomotor seizures are often accompanied by automatisms or repetitive nonpurposeful activities such as lip smacking, grimacing, patting, or rubbing clothing.

Atonic

______________ seizures are a type of generalized seizure involving the loss of muscle tone where the person suddenly drops

Liver

_______________ toxicity is a potential adverse effect of phenytoin.

Phenytoin

________________IV is among the most common treatments for tonic-clonic seizures

Status epilepticus

___________________ is a life-threatening emergency characterized by generalized tonic-clonic convulsions lasting for several minutes or occurring at close intervals during which the client does not regain consciousness.

Generalized

___________________ seizures involve a loss of consciousness.

Absence

___________________ seizures occur most commonly in children. They usually begin with a brief change in the level of consciousness, signaled by blinking or rolling of the eyes, a blank stare, and slight mouth movements.

Carbamazepine

____________________ is prescribed to treat trigeminal neuralgia.

Status epilepticus

________________________ may result from abrupt discontinuation of the drug, even when the anticonvulsant is being administered in small daily doses.

video electroencephalogram

A _________________________ can determine the precise localization of the seizure area in the brain.

Absence seizure

A child with a history of a seizure disorder has been observed suddenly and repetitively patting his knee. The child has a brief loss of contact with the environment and then is ready to resume normal activity. What type of seizure did this client most likely experience?

Generalized

A client experiences loss of consciousness, tongue biting, and incontinence, along with tonic and clonic phases of seizure activity. The nurse should document this episode as which type of seizure?

phenytoin

A side effect of ________________ sodium is gingival hyperplasia. Good tooth brushing helps prevent inflammation under the hypertrophied tissue.

blinking, blank stare

Absence seizures occur most commonly in children. They usually begin with a brief change in the level of consciousness, signaled by ________________ or rolling of the eyes, a __________________, and slight mouth movements.

Valproic acid

After teaching a group of students about anticonvulsant therapy, the instructor determines that the teaching was successful when the group identifies which drug as eliciting its effects by increasing levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which stabilizes cell membranes?

ALT (Alanine aminotransferase)

Because an adverse effect of ethosuximide can be liver function impairment, a baseline liver function study that includes the _____________________ should be done prior to starting ethosuximide.

extension

Decerebrate posture is _________________ and external rotation.

flexion

Decorticate posture is the _______________ and internal rotation of forearms and hands.

absence

Ethosuximide (Zarontin) is considered the drug of choice for treating ______________ seizures and is in the succinide family

orally

Ethotoin is administered ______________

5

IV phenobarbital has an onset of action of approximately ____ minutes.

encephalitis

Like meningitis, ____________________ is characterized by fever, headache, and nuchal rigidity (impaired neck flexion resulting from muscle spasm), but more often clients also experience neurologic disturbances, such as lethargy, disorientation, seizures, focal paralysis, delirium, and coma.

neck flexion

Like meningitis, encephalitis is characterized by fever, headache, and nuchal rigidity (impaired _____________________ resulting from muscle spasm), but more often clients also experience neurologic disturbances, such as lethargy, disorientation, seizures, focal paralysis, delirium, and coma.

gingival hyperplasia

Phenytoin is an anticonvulsant medication. It can be used in the management of seizure disorders. This medication is associated with ___________________. This may result in tender and bleeding gums. The use of a soft toothbrush will reduce pain, bleeding and discomfort.

food

Phenytoin should be taken with _____________ to reduce the chance of stomach upset. It should be taken on a regular basis and not only when a seizure occurs

motor nerve output

The barbiturates and barbiturate-like drugs depress ________________________, inhibit impulse conduction in the ascending reticular activating system (RAS), depress the cerebral cortex, and alter cerebellar function

Valproic acid

The nurse understands that certain classifications of drugs may be used to treat more than one condition and knows that what medication may be used for both bipolar and seizure disorders?

10, 20

The therapeutic serum phenytoin levels range from _______ to ______ mcg/mL.

bradycardia

The use of phenytoin is contraindicated in clients with known hypersensitivity to the drug, clients with sinus __________________, sinoatrial block, Adam-Stokes syndrome, and second- and third-degree atrioventricular block, pregnancy, and lactation.

aura

Tonic-clonic seizures are sometimes preceded by an ___________—a brief warning, such as a flash of light or a specific sound or smell.

Phenytoin

________________ is an anticonvulsant medication. It can be used in the management of seizure disorders. This medication is associated with gingival hyperplasia. This may result in tender and bleeding gums. The use of a soft toothbrush will reduce pain, bleeding and discomfort.

Decerebrate

_________________ posture is extension and external rotation.

Ethosuximide

__________________ is the drug of choice for absence seizures

Decorticate

__________________ posture is the flexion and internal rotation of forearms and hands.