Transcript Seizures - Iron County School District

SEIZURES
EPILEPSY
Iron County School District
HEALTH SERVICES
TRAINING MODULE
SEIZURES - EPILEPSY
Definitions
Types
Triggers
Emergencies
Treatments
Impact
DEFINITIONS
A SEIZURE IS
A CHANGE IN
Sensation, awareness,
behavior, or involuntary
muscle activity
BROUGHT ABOUT BY
An electrical disturbance
in the brain
A neurological condition that
affects the nervous system and
makes people susceptible to
seizures.
NOT ALL SEIZURES INDICATE EPILEPSY
Non-epileptic seizures may be caused by:
High fever
 Alcohol & drug withdrawal
 Low blood sugar such
 Imbalance of body fluids
 Sudden loss of blood supply to the brain
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Seizures may look scary but they are not painful.
Most seizures occur without warning.
TYPES OF SEIZURES
There are many types of seizures
classified into two main types
GENERALIZED
When the electrical
disturbance involves the
whole brain, the seizure is
called generalized
PARTIAL
When only part of the brain
is affected, it is called partial
GENERALIZED SEIZURE TYPES
Involve electrical misfiring that affects the whole brain
TONIC-CLONIC SEIZURES
MYOCLONIC SEIZURES
ATONIC SEIZURES
ABSENCE SEIZURES
TONIC-CLONIC SEIZURES
FIRST AID IS NECESSARY
o Formally called grand mal seizures
o Usually last 1-2 minutes
o Stiffening of the limbs (tonic phase)
o Loss of consciousness
o Jerking movements (clonic phase)
o Breathing may decrease or cease altogether,
o Cyanosis (blue color) of the nail beds, lips and face
o Breathing typically returns during the clonic phase,
but may be irregular.
o Possible loss of bladder or bowel
o Some people experience only the tonic phase or the
clonic phase; or a tonic-clonic pattern
ABSENCE SEIZURES
NO FIRST AID NEEDED
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Have been called petit mal seizures
Typically last 2-15 seconds
Brief episodes of staring
Awareness and responsiveness are impaired
May occur occasionally OR 100 times a day
Can be mistaken for daydreaming
Do not realize they’ve had one but alert thereafter
Simple absence seizures only cause staring.
Complex absence seizures include changes in muscle activity such as blinking,
slight chewing movements, hand movements such as rubbing the fingers
together, and contraction or relaxation of the muscles.
MYOCLONIC SEIZURES
NO FIRST AID NEEDED
o Lasts only a few seconds
o Rapid, brief jerking (muscle contractions)
o Usually occurs at the same time on both
sides of the body
o Occasionally, they involve one arm or a foot
o People usually think of them as sudden jerks
or clumsiness.
ATONIC SEIZURES
FIRST AID USUALLY NOT NEEDED
o Also known as drop attacks
o Produces an abrupt loss of muscle tone
o The head drops
o Loss of posture or sudden collapse
These seizures can result in injuries to the head and face
because they are so abrupt, occur without warning and the
people experiencing them fall with force. Protective head
gear is sometimes used.
FIRST AID
GENERALIZED TONIC-CLONIC SEIZURES
Keep calm and reassure other people who may be nearby.
Don't hold the person down or try to stop their movements.
Time the seizure with your watch.
Clear the area around the person of anything hard or sharp.
Loosen ties or anything around the neck that may make breathing difficult.
Remove glasses.
Put something flat and soft, like a folded jacket, under the head.
Turn the person gently onto one side. This will help keep the airway clear.
Do not try to force the mouth open with any hard implement or with fingers.
Don't attempt CPR except in the unlikely event that a person does not start
breathing again after the seizure has stopped.
 Stay with the person until the seizure ends naturally.
 Be friendly and reassuring as consciousness returns.
 The person may be very sleepy after the seizure.
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PARTIAL SEIZURES
Electrical misfiring is limited to one part of the brain
SIMPLE
PARTIAL
SEIZURES
COMPLEX
PARTIAL
SEIZURES
Awareness, memory and consciousness
maintained
Awareness, memory and consciousness are
impaired or lost
 The impact of a partial seizure depends on where in the brain it begins
and how it spreads.
 Partial seizures can spread to cause a generalized type of seizure,
discussed in the previous slides.
SIMPLE PARTIAL SEIZURES
Last about 90 seconds, while aware of their surroundings,
with memory and consciousness retained
MOTOR SEIZURES: Affect movement, usually on one side of the body
SENSORY SEIZURES: Sensations may cause things to look, sound, taste, smell, or feel
different.
AUTONOMIC SEIZURES: Cause changes in the part of the nervous system that
automatically controls bodily functions.
PSYCHIC SEIZURES: Change how people think, feel or experience things.
COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURES
Last about 1 – 2 minutes, alters awareness, memory and consciousness, and
is different for each person depending on the part of the brain affected.
Often starts with a blank stare and inability
to interact normally with other people and
no control of bodily movements, speech, or actions
• Eyes may be open
• Pick at clothes
• Make mechanical
movements
• Picks objects up & put
down
• Freezing in place
• Daydreaming
• Chewing
• Repeated movements
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Mumbles, repeat words
Laugh, scream or cry
May run and appear afraid
Struggles or flails if restrained
Remains frightened &
confused afterward
SEIZURE TRIGGERS
Certain things can trigger seizures in people with epilepsy, and include;
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Flashing or bright lights
Lack of sleep
Stress
Overstimulation
Fever
Certain medications,
Heavy alcohol use
Hyperventilation
Nutritional deficiencies
Menstrual cycle
AURAS
Partial seizures sometimes have an aura,
a warning sign that a seizure is going to occur.
Tingling
Dizziness
Headache
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Auras usually occur seconds
to minutes before a seizure
• Physical sensations that can
occur as auras
Fear or Panic
Upset Stomach
Distorted Vision
Racing Thoughts
Strange Feelings
Distorted Emotions
Weird Smell or Taste
Sometimes the warning or aura is not
followed by any other symptom
Lightheaded & Numbness
AFTER A SEIZURE
May be sleepy or confused for a few minutes or even
an hour or more
May not remember the seizure or what happened
immediately before the event
May be alert and ready to resume whatever they
were doing before the seizure happened
SEIZURE EMERGENCIES
Call 911 emergency
medical services if
 Seizure lasts over 5 minutes
 Seizures occur close together with
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no recovery between seizures
Injury occurs
Difficulty breathing-blue coloration
Illness after seizure
Suspect ingestion of poisons or
medications
Or other abnormalities
SEIZURE TREATMENT
MEDICATION
SURGERY
If drugs
don’t work or
child has
a lot of
medication
side effects
other
treatments
are
considered
DIET CHANGE
VAGUS NERVE
STIMULATOR
Learning/Academic issues
May have deficits in
o Attention
o Concentration
o Memory
o Organizational skills
o Academic achievement
At greater risk
for learning problems
and underachievement
May have fatigue
from seizures
And side effects
from medication
Emotional & behavioral issues
Higher risk for
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anxiety
depression
irritability
hyperactivity
frustration
aggression & rage
shame
embarrassment
Let us be sensitive
To the needs
of students
with Seizures
This concludes the Health Services training module
Please follow the instructions below to complete a short quiz:
1. Make a copy of the test for this module then
answer the questions.
2. You can also make a copy of this power point to
assist you with the test.
3. Check the answers.
4. Send a copy of your answers to the school nurse.
Thank you for taking the time to learn how to assist students with Seizures
Iron County School District Health Services