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Is the respiration rapid? The presence of rapid respiration indicates dyspnea and may be caused by shock, congestive heart failure, asthma, emphysema, and other disorders.
Is the respiration slow? The presence of slow ... DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP
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... These are a group of speech abnormalities that do not fit into the category of aphasia or dysarthria. These are almost always psychogenic in origin.
Stammering speech
is found in emotionally high-strung people and is probably due to psychological trauma in childhood. It is
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Are both pupils dilated? The presence of dilated pupils in an otherwise normal subject would suggest drug intoxication such as phenobarbital, marijuana, and PCP. However, the patient may not know that he or she had a concussion recently. Also, ... DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP
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Seizures are a symptom of some identifiable underlying cause or are idiopathic. Epilepsy is recurrent unprovoked seizures. Seizures may or may not be associated with convulsive activity. Correct classification of the seizure type helps to suggest etiology and... Differential Diagnosis ... Workup and Diagnosis ... Treatment
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Seizures in the newborn are often difficult to diagnose, because there may only be subtle manifestations. Any insult that affects the brain in this age group can present with seizures, thus the differential diagnosis is quite extensive. One also has to rule out several mimics... Differential Diagnosis ... Workup and Diagnosis ... Treatment
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Febrile seizures occur in 3–4% of all children; they often do not require long-term treatment. Each year, between 25,000 and 40,000 children in the U.S. have a first unprovoked afebrile seizure. Most of these children will not have a second... Differential Diagnosis ... Workup and Diagnosis ... Treatment
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... It is simple enough to administer a sedative and refer the emotionally distressed patient to a psychiatrist, but the astute diagnostician will want to rule out an organic disease first. Almost every endocrine disease is associated with emotional disturbances, all of which
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... A complex partial seizure occurs when a focal seizure begins in the temporal lobe and causes a partial alteration of consciousness — usually confusion. Psychomotor seizures can occur at any age, but their incidence usually increases during... History ... Medical causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers
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... Absence seizures are benign, generalized seizures thought to originate subcortically. These brief episodes of unconsciousness usually last 3 to 20 seconds and can occur 100 or more times per day, causing periods of inattention. Absence seizures usually begin... History and physical examination ... Medical causes
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... Resulting from an irritable focus in the cerebral cortex, simple partial seizures typically last about 30 seconds and don’t alter the patient’s level of consciousness (LOC). The type and pattern reflect the location of the irritable focus. Simple partial seizures may... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Pictures
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... Like other types of seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures are caused by the paroxysmal, uncontrolled discharge of central nervous system neurons, leading to neurologic dysfunction. Unlike most other types of seizures, however, this cerebral hyperactivity isn... Emergency interventions ... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Pictures
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... Central Nervous System and Vascular Causes
Cerebrovascular disease
Thrombosis
Embolism
Hemorrhage
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... A complex partial seizure occurs when a focal seizure begins in the temporal lobe and causes a partial alteration of consciousness—usually confusion. Psychomotor seizures can occur at any age, but incidence usually increases during adolescence and adulthood. Two... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers
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... Absence seizures are benign, generalized seizures thought to originate subcortically. These brief episodes of unconsciousness usually last 3 to 20 seconds and can occur 100 or more times a day, causing periods of inattention. Absence seizures... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Patient counseling
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... Resulting from an irritable focus in the cerebral cortex, simple partial seizures typically last about 30 seconds and don’t alter the patient’s level of consciousness (LOC). The type and pattern reflect the location of the... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Patient counseling ... Pictures
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... Like other types of seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures are caused by the paroxysmal, uncontrolled discharge of central nervous system (CNS) neurons, leading to neurologic dysfunction. Unlike most other types of seizures, however, this cerebral hyperactivity... Emergency interventions ... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Patient counseling ... Pictures
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... Linda M. Savory
Seizures are a common serious neurologic disorder in the outpatient setting. In the United States, approximately 4 million patients suffer at least one seizure and 2 million have suffered two or more.... Approach. ... History. ... Physical examination (PE) ... Testing ... Diagnostic assessment.
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... Stephen Schmidt and Kathryn M. Andolsek
Worldwide, cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies; 16,000 cases are diagnosed and 4,800 deaths occur annually in the United States (1). An American woman’s lifetime risk of cervical cancer is 0.83%;... Approach ... History ... Physical examination ... Testing ... Diagnostic assessment ... Pictures
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... Differential Overview
❑ Generalized (grand mal)
❑ Partial (focal)
❑ Complex partial (temporal lobe)
❑ Absence ... Diagnostic Approach ... Clinical Findings ... Pictures
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... Like other types of seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures are caused by the paroxysmal, uncontrolled discharge of central nervous system (CNS) neurons, leading to neurologic dysfunction. Unlike most other types of seizures, however, this cerebral hyperactivity isn’t... Assessment ... History ... Physical examination ... Pediatric pointers ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Nursing considerations ... Patient teaching ... Pictures
... READ EXCERPTS »
... A complex partial seizure occurs when a focal seizure begins in the temporal lobe and causes a partial alteration of consciousness — usually confusion. Psychomotor seizures can occur at any age, but incidence usually increases during adolescence... History ... Physical assessment ... Medical causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Patient counseling ... Pictures
... READ EXCERPTS »
... Resulting from an irritable focus in the cerebral cortex, simple partial seizures typically last about 30 seconds and don’t alter the patient’s level of consciousness (LOC). The type and pattern reflect the location of the irritable focus. Simple... History ... Physical assessment ... Medical causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Patient counseling ... Pictures
... READ EXCERPTS »
... Like other types of seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures are caused by the paroxysmal, uncontrolled discharge of central nervous system (CNS) neurons, leading to neurologic dysfunction. Unlike most other types of seizures, however, this cerebral... History ... Physical assessment ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Special considerations ... Pediatric pointers ... Patient counseling ... Pictures
... READ EXCERPTS »
... A seizureis a sudden paroxysmal discharge of neurons that causes a transientalteration in neurologic function. This alteration can include changesin level of alertness, sensation, motor activity, and autonomicfunction. Commission on... Classification of Seizure Types ... Principal Causes of Seizures ... Clinical Features and Diagnosis ... Diagnostic Approach ... References
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... A complex partial seizure occurs when a focal seizure begins in the temporal lobe and causes a partial alteration of consciousness—usually confusion. Psychomotor seizures can occur at any age, but their incidence usually increases during adolescence... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Nursing considerations ... Patient teaching
... READ EXCERPTS »
... Absence seizures are benign, generalized seizures thought to originate subcortically. These brief episodes of unconsciousness usually last 3 to 20 seconds and can occur 100 or more times per day, causing periods of inattention. Absence seizures usually begin... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Nursing considerations ... Patient teaching
... READ EXCERPTS »
... Resulting from an irritable focus in the cerebral cortex, simple partial seizures typically last about 30 seconds and don't alter the patient's level of consciousness (LOC). The type and pattern reflect the location of the irritable focus. Simple partial... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Nursing considerations ... Patient teaching ... Pictures
... READ EXCERPTS »
... Like other types of seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures are caused by the paroxysmal, uncontrolled discharge of central nervous system neurons, leading to neurologic dysfunction. Unlike most other types of seizures, however, this cerebral hyperactivity isn't confined to the... History and physical examination ... Medical causes ... Other causes ... Nursing considerations ... Patient teaching ... Pictures
... READ EXCERPTS »
...
It is simple enough to administer a sedative and refer the emotionally
distressed patient to a psychiatrist, but the astute diagnostician will want
to rule out an organic disease first. Almost every endocrine disease is
associated with emotional
... READ EXCERPTS »
... Samir S. Shah
Approach to the Patient with Seizures
I. Definition of the Complaint
Seizures, a common neurologic ... Pictures
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... I. History of Present Illness
An 8-month-old boy was well until 1 week before admission, when he was found by
his mother having a
“seizure.” He had shaking and jerking of all extremities that did not stop when
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... Amy R. Brooks-Kayal, MDEric Marsh, MD, PhD Infantile Spasms - BASICS Infantile Spasms - description Myoclonic seizures, usually occurring in clusters, associated with a typical electroencephalographic pattern: High-voltage ... Infantile Spasms - DIAGNOSIS ... Infantile Spasms - TREATMENT ... Infantile Spasms - FOLLOW UP ... Infantile Spasms - bibliography ... Infantile Spasms - ADDITIONAL READING ... Infantile Spasms - CODES ... Infantile Spasms - FAQ
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Children whose epilepsy is not controlled through medications may want to consider alternatives. Learn about one option that is growing in popularity.
Witnessing a seizure can be scary, especially when the seizure occurs in someone you know. Do you know what to do when you see someone having a...
Not all epileptic seizures are noticeable. For some, they can occur while a person is asleep, making epilepsy hard to recognize and also more severe....
Accepting a diagnosis of epilepsy can mean a life-long commitment to medication. Listen to the story of a young woman who found the right balance for...