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Diagnostic Tests for Epilepsy
Epilepsy: Diagnostic Tests
The list of diagnostic tests mentioned in various sources as used in the diagnosis of Epilepsy includes:
- EEG
- Brain scan
- Skull x-ray
- Brain CAT scan
- Brain MRI scan
- Blood tests
- Brain blood circulation tests
Home Diagnostic Testing
These home medical tests may be relevant to Epilepsy:
- Nerve Neuropathy: Related Home Testing:
- Brain & Neurological Disorders: Related Home Testing:
Tests and diagnosis discussion for Epilepsy:
EEGs and brain scans are common diagnostic test for epilepsy. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Epilepsy Information Page: NINDS)
Diagnosis of Epilepsy: medical news summaries:
The following medical news items are relevant to diagnosis of Epilepsy:
- A range of common medicines may cause a serious reaction
- Greater awareness needed of cardiac conditions that can cause sudden death
- Lupus treatment has improved over the years
- Rare conditions: venous malformation
- Restless Leg Syndrome still difficult to diagnose
- More news »
Diagnostic Tests for Epilepsy: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the diagnostic tests for Epilepsy.
Aura:
History and physical examination
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
Obtain a thorough history of the patient’s headaches or seizure history, asking him to describe any sensory or motor phenomena that precede each headache or seizure. Find out how long each headache or seizure typically lasts. Does anything make it worse, such as bright lights, noise, or caffeine? Does anything make it better? Ask the patient about drugs he takes for pain relief.
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Fasciculations:
History and physical examination
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
If the patient isn’t in severe distress, find out if he has experienced sensory changes, such as paresthesia, or any difficulty speaking, swallowing, breathing, or controlling bowel or bladder function. Ask him if he’s in pain.
Explore the patient’s medical history for neurologic disorders, cancer, and recent infections. Also, ask him about his lifestyle, especially stress at home, on the job, or at school.
Ask the patient about his dietary habits and for a recall of his food and fluid intake in the recent past because electrolyte imbalances may also cause muscle twitching.
Perform a physical examination, looking for fasciculations while the affected muscle is at rest. Observe and test for motor and sensory abnormalities, particularly muscle atrophy and weakness, and decreased deep tendon reflexes. If you note these signs and symptoms, suspect motor neuron disease, and perform a comprehensive neurologic examination.
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Level of consciousness, decreased:
History and physical examination
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
Try to obtain history information from the patient, if he’s lucid, and from his family. Did the patient complain of a headache, dizziness, nausea, vision or hearing disturbances, weakness, fatigue, or other problems before his LOC decreased? Has his family noticed changes in the patient’s behavior, personality, memory, or temperament? Also ask about a history of neurologic disease, cancer, or recent trauma or infections; drug and alcohol use; and the development of other signs and symptoms.
Because a decreased LOC can result from a disorder affecting virtually any body system, tailor the remainder of your evaluation according to the patient’s associated symptoms.
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Myoclonus:
History and physical examination
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
If the patient is stable, evaluate his level of consciousness (LOC) and mental status. Ask about the frequency, severity, location, and circumstances of myoclonus. Has he ever had a seizure? If so, did myoclonus precede it? Is myoclonus ever precipitated by a sensory stimulus? During the physical examination, check for muscle rigidity and wasting, and test deep tendon reflexes.
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Seizures, generalized tonic-clonic:
History and physical examination
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
If you didn’t witness the seizure, obtain a description from the patient’s companion. Ask when the seizure started and how long it lasted. Did the patient report unusual sensations before the seizure began? Did the seizure start in one area of the body and spread, or did it affect the entire body right away? Did the patient fall on a hard surface? Did his eyes or head turn? Did he turn blue? Did he lose bladder control? Did he have other seizures before recovering?
If the patient may have sustained a head injury, observe him closely for loss of consciousness, unequal or nonreactive pupils, and focal neurologic signs. Does he complain of a headache and muscle soreness? Is he increasingly difficult to arouse when you check on him at 20-minute intervals? Examine his arms, legs, and face (including tongue) for injury, residual paralysis, or limb weakness.
Next, obtain a history. Has the patient ever had generalized or focal seizures before? If so, do they occur frequently? Do other family members also have them? Is the patient receiving drug therapy? Is he compliant? Also, ask about sleep deprivation and emotional or physical stress at the time the seizure occurred.
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Seizures, simple partial:
History and physical examination
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
Make sure to record the patient’s seizure activity in detail; your data may be critical in locating the lesion in the brain. Does the patient turn his head and eyes? If so, to what side? Where does movement first start? Does it spread? Because a partial seizure may become generalized, you’ll need to watch closely for loss of consciousness, bilateral tonicity and clonicity, cyanosis, tongue biting, and urinary incontinence. (See “Seizures, generalized tonic-clonic,” page 554.)
After the seizure, ask the patient to describe exactly what he remembers, if anything, about the seizure. Check the patient’s LOC, and test for residual deficits (such as weakness in the involved extremity) and sensory disturbances.
Then obtain a history. Ask the patient what happened before the seizure. Can he describe an aura or did he recognize its onset? If so, how — by a smell, a visual disturbance, or a sound or visceral phenomenon such as an unusual sensation in his stomach? How does this seizure compare with others he has had?
Also, explore fully any history — recent or remote — of head trauma. Check for a history of stroke or recent infection, especially with a fever, headache, or stiff neck.
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Seizures, absence:
History and physical examination
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
If you suspect a patient is having an absence seizure, evaluate its occurrence and duration by reciting a series of numbers and then asking him to repeat them after the attack ends. If the patient has had an absence seizure, he can’t do this. Alternatively, if the seizures are occurring within minutes of each other, ask the patient to count for about 5 minutes. He’ll stop counting during a seizure and resume when it’s over. Look for accompanying automatisms. Find out if the family has noticed a change in behavior or deteriorating schoolwork.
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Aura:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
After providing emergency care, obtain a thorough history of the patient’s headaches or seizures, asking him to describe any sensory or motor phenomena that precede each headache or seizure. Find out how long each headache or seizure typically lasts. Does anything make it worse, such as bright lights, noise, or caffeine? Does anything make it better? Ask the patient about drugs he takes for pain relief.
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Fasciculations:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
If the patient isn’t in severe distress, find out if he has experienced any sensory changes, such as paresthesia, or any difficulty speaking, swallowing, breathing, or controlling bowel or bladder function. Ask him if he’s in pain.
Explore the patient’s medical history for neurologic disorders, cancer, and recent infections. Also, ask him about his lifestyle, especially stress at home, on the job, or at school.
Ask the patient about his dietary habits and for a recall of his food and fluid intake in the recent past because electrolyte imbalances may also cause muscle twitching.
Perform a physical examination, looking for fasciculations while the affected muscle is at rest. Observe and test for motor and sensory abnormalities, particularly muscle atrophy and weakness, and decreased deep tendon reflexes. If you note these signs and symptoms, suspect motor neuron disease, and perform a comprehensive neurologic examination.
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Level of consciousness, decreased:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
Try to obtain history information from the patient, if he’s lucid, and from his family. Did the patient complain of headache, dizziness, nausea, visual or hearing disturbances, weakness, fatigue, or any other problems before his LOC decreased? Has his family noticed any changes in the patient’s behavior, personality, memory, or temperament? Also ask about a history of neurologic disease, cancer, or recent trauma or infections; drug and alcohol use; and the development of other signs and symptoms.
Because decreased LOC can result from a disorder affecting virtually any body system, tailor the remainder of your evaluation according to the patient’s associated symptoms.
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Myoclonus:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
If the patient is stable, evaluate level of consciousness and mental status. Ask about the frequency, severity, location, and circumstances of the myoclonus. Has he ever had a seizure? If so, did myoclonus precede it? Is the myoclonus ever precipitated by a sensory stimulus? During the physical examination, check for muscle rigidity and wasting, and test deep tendon reflexes.
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Seizures, generalized tonic-clonic:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
If you didn’t witness the seizure, obtain a description from the patient’s companion. Ask when the seizure started and how long it lasted. Did the patient report any unusual sensations before the seizure began? Did the seizure start in one area of the body and spread, or did it affect the entire body right away? Did the patient fall on a hard surface? Did his eyes or head turn? Did he turn blue? Did he lose bladder control? Did he have any other seizures before recovering?
If the patient may have sustained a head injury, observe him closely for loss of consciousness, unequal or nonreactive pupils, and focal neurologic signs. Does he complain of headache and muscle soreness? Is he increasingly difficult to arouse when you check on him at 20-minute intervals? Examine his arms, legs, and face (including tongue) for injury, residual paralysis, or limb weakness.
Next, obtain a history. Has the patient ever had generalized or focal seizures before? If so, do they occur frequently? Do other family members also have them? Is the patient receiving drug therapy? Is he compliant? Ask about sleep deprivation and emotional or physical stress at the time the seizure occurred.
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Seizures, simple partial:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
Be sure to record the patient’s seizure activity in detail; your data may be critical in locating the lesion in the brain. Does the patient turn his head and eyes? If so, to what side? Where does movement first start? Does it spread? Because a partial seizure may become generalized, you’ll need to watch closely for loss of consciousness, bilateral tonicity and clonicity, cyanosis, tongue biting, and urinary incontinence. (See “Seizures, generalized tonic-clonic,” page 708.)
After the seizure, ask the patient to describe exactly what he remembers, if anything, about the seizure. Check the patient’s LOC, and test for residual deficits (such as weakness in the involved extremity) and sensory disturbances.
Then obtain a history. Ask the patient what happened before the seizure. Can he describe an aura or did he recognize its onset? If so, how—by a smell, a visual disturbance, or a sound or visceral phenomenon, such as an unusual sensation in his stomach? How does this seizure compare with others he has had?
Explore fully any history, recent or remote, of head trauma. Check for a history of stroke or recent infection, especially with fever, headache, or a stiff neck.
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Seizures, absence:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
If you suspect a patient is having an absence seizure, evaluate its occurrence and duration by reciting a series of numbers and then asking him to repeat them after the attack ends. If the patient has had an absence seizure, he’ll be unable to do this. Alternatively, if the seizures are occurring within minutes of each other, ask the patient to count for about 5 minutes. He’ll stop counting during a seizure and resume when it’s over. Look for accompanying automatisms. Find out if the family has noticed a change in behavior or deteriorating schoolwork.
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Seizures, complex partial:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
If you witness a complex partial seizure, never attempt to restrain the patient. Instead, lead him gently to a safe area. (Exception: Don’t approach him if he’s angry or violent.) Calmly encourage him to sit down, and remain with him until he’s fully alert. After the seizure, ask him if he experienced an aura. Record all observations and findings.
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Chorea [Choreiform movements]:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
Ask the patient and his family when they first noticed the choreiform movements. Do the movements disappear when the patient is asleep? Find out if anyone in the patient’s family exhibits the same type of movements, and ask about a family history of such diseases as Huntington’s disease. Also ask which medications the patient is taking. Obtain an occupational history, noting especially prolonged exposure to manganese or other metals. As you obtain the history, observe the patient for excessive restlessness and periodic facial grimaces that may interrupt his speech.
Perform a physical examination to evaluate the severity of the patient’s chorea. Ask him to stick out his tongue and keep it out. Typically, he’ll be unable to do this; instead, his tongue will dart in and out of his mouth. Observe the patient’s arms and legs separately for involuntary jerky movements. Ask him to extend and flex his hand as if halting traffic; the choreiform movements will be extremely evident in this position. Also, check for such related signs as athetosis, rigidity, or tremor.
To assess the patient for choreoathetotic gait, ask him to walk. He may change the position of his trunk and upper body parts with each step and jerk and tilt his head to one side. Because of superimposed involuntary movements and postures, the patient’s legs may move slowly and awkwardly. (An involuntary movement suspending his leg momentarily with each step may give a dancing quality to his gait.)
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Seizures:
Physical examination (PE)
(The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter)
A. Focused neurologic examination. Examine level of consciousness, pupils, fundi, cranial nerves, reflexes, gait, muscle strength, general sensory, coordination, and Romberg’s sign (4). Look for abnormal motor activity and test for abnormal reflexes.
B. Additional PE
1. Look for signs of systemic illness: cardiac disease (cyanosis, pallor, irregular rhythm, cool extremities) and chronic alcoholism (ascites, jaundice, caput medusae, and bruising).
2. Look for residual signs of trauma or limb asymmetry.
3. Look for dysmorphic manifestations of heritable disease: vascular malformations (Sturge–Weber), adenoma sebaceum (tuberous sclerosis), or café au lait spots and subcutaneous nodules (neurofibromatosis).
4. Gingival hypertrophy suggests phenytoin therapy.
Testing
A. Clinical laboratory tests. Choice of tests is dictated by the patient’s age, history, physical findings, and type of seizure.
1. In evaluating a child, consider a random glucose, calcium, magnesium, electrolytes, and, possibly, a lead level and an electroencephalogram (EEG). In a child aged less than 5 years with one or two short generalized seizures associated with fever, no neurologic abnormality, and normal bloodwork, no imaging study is generally necessary (5).
2. In adults, obtain glucose, sodium, calcium, and consider thyroid function tests, heavy metal screen, and porphyrins.
3. Obtain a lumbar puncture when acute or chronic infection of subdural is suspected.
4. An abnormal EEG supports the diagnosis of seizure and hints at the cause and classification. A normal EEG does not exclude seizure.
B. Diagnostic imaging
1. In newborns, ultrasound or computerized tomography (CT) imaging may reveal intracerebral hemorrhage or structural abnormality.
2. Adolescents and adults should have a magnetic resonance imaging scan (or CT) to rule out focal and structural lesions.
C. Special studies include prolonged closed-circuit video EEG to distinguish psychogenic seizures or in a patient with continuing seizures and multiple normal EEGs.
Diagnostic assessment.
The key to diagnosis is the history and neurologic examination. A history with a focal component indicates a high likelihood of structural pathology. A recent febrile illness with seizure, headache, change in mental status, or confusion suggests acute CNS infection. A history of headache or change in mental function with seizure and abnormal neurologic examination suggests mass lesion. A clear, focal onset of the event (staring or head turning) may aid in distinguishing seizure from syncope. Emotional lability and a history of psychiatric treatment in a patient whose neurologic workup is negative may suggest a diagnosis of pseudoseizures. A pregnant patient near term who seizes may have pregnancy-induced hypertension or declining drug levels.
References
1. Dichter MA. The epilepsies and convulsive disorders. In: Braunwald E, Fauci AS, Isselbacher DL, et al., ed. Harrison’s principles of internal medicine, 13th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1995:2223.
2. Bradford JC, Kyriakedes CG. Evaluation of the patient with seizures: an evidence based approach. Emerg Med Clin North Am 1999;17(1):203–220, ix–x.
3. Hauser WA. Seizure disorders: the changes with age. Epilepsia 1992;33(4):S6–S14.
4. Roth HL, Drislane FW. Seizures. Neurol Clin 1998;16:257–284.
5. Berg, AT, Shinnar S. The risk of seizure occurrence following a first unprovoked seizure: a quantitative review. Neurology 1991;41:965–972.
Source: The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter, 2000
Seizures:
Diagnostic Approach
(Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis)
When the patient is found unresponsive, the differential is seizure versus syncope. Interviewing witnesses is crucial to ascertain the diagnosis. Seizures can be distinguished by color (cyanosis in seizure, pallor in syncope), aura, injury from falling, protracted tonic-clonic activity, tongue biting, urinary incontinence, and slow recovery of consciousness (seizure). Confusion, headache, and drowsiness are sequelae of seizure, whereas physical weakness and a clear sensorium occur with syncope. Seizures often have a promontory aura, such as an odor, and syncope has a prodrome of tunnel vision. Seizures are followed by eye closure, rotation of the head side-to-side, and prolonged, motionless unresponsiveness.
General precipitating factors include sleep deprivation, systemic disease such as renal failure, metabolic/electrolyte disorder such as hypoglycemia or hyponatremia, alcohol use, or drug use. Elicit a history of febrile seizures or prior head trauma. Common causes of recurrent seizures in previously controlled patients include alcohol use, intercurrent infection, and missed medication doses.
A neurological examination will indicate whether there is an underlying structural problem as evidenced by mild hemiparesis, reflex asymmetry, or extensor plantar response. Seizures are more common in slowly growing cerebral lesions, such as low-grade glioma or meningioma.
Source: Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis, 2007
Aura:
Physical assessment
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
First, perform a full neurologic examination. Then proceed to a complete physical examination to detect systemic disorders. Be aware that the physical assessment may not reveal abnormalities.
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Chorea:
Physical assessment
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Perform a physical examination to evaluate the severity of the patient’s chorea. Ask him to stick out his tongue and keep it out. Typically, he’ll be unable to do this; instead, his tongue will dart in and out of his mouth. Observe the patient’s arms and legs separately for involuntary jerky movements. Ask him to extend and flex his hand as if halting traffic, and note the choreiform movements — they’ll be extremely evident in this position. Also, check for such related signs as athetosis, rigidity, or tremor.
To assess the patient for choreoathetotic gait, ask him to walk. He may change the positions of his trunk and upper body parts with each step and jerk and tilt his head to one side. Because of superimposed involuntary movements and postures, the patient’s legs may move slowly and awkwardly. (An involuntary movement suspending his leg momentarily with each step may give a dancing quality to his gait.)
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Level of consciousness, decreased:
Physical assessment
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Decreased LOC can result from a disorder affecting virtually any body system. After performing a complete neurologic examination, let the results of your history guide the rest of your physical assessment.
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Myoclonus:
Physical assessment
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Check for muscle rigidity and wasting, and test deep tendon reflexes. Then complete the neurologic and musculoskeletal assessments.
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Seizures, generalized tonic-clonic:
Physical assessment
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
If the patient may have sustained a head injury, observe him closely for loss of consciousness, unequal or nonreactive pupils, and focal neurologic signs. Examine his arms, legs, and face (including tongue) for injury, residual paralysis, or limb weakness. If you haven’t already done so, take the patient’s vital signs. Then complete your neurologic assessment.
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Seizures, simple partial:
Physical assessment
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Take your patient’s vital signs. Perform a complete physical assessment, focusing on the neurologic assessment. Check the patient’s LOC, and test for residual deficits (such as weakness in the involved extremity) and sensory disturbances.
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Seizures, complex partial:
Physical assessment
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
If the patient has had a seizure, examine him for injury. Make sure he has a patent airway, and then perform a complete neurologic assessment.
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Seizures:
Diagnostic Approach
(The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics)
Neonatal Seizures
Phenomena That May Be Confused with Seizures
Determining whether a seizure has occurredmay be difficult in some neonates. Seizures may consist of clonicmovements, tonic posturing of extremity, repetitive random or suckingmovements, or eye deviation. Recurrent apnea also may occur as amanifestation of a seizure disorder, but it is rarely the only manifestation.Jitteriness and benign myoclonic phenomena must be distinguishedfrom seizures.Jitteriness
Jitteriness is stimulus sensitive and hasa tremulous quality. It ceases when extremity is held.Benign Neonatal Sleep Myoclonus
Evaluation
Postneonatal Seizures
Phenomena That May Be Confused with Seizures
Clinical phenomena that may be confused withseizures are syncope, breath-holding spells, tics, benign paroxysmalvertigo, pseudoseizures, night terrors, migraine, and spasmus nutans.Manifestations of each are briefly described and contrasted withthose of seizures.Syncope
Breath-Holding Spells
Tics
Recurrent involuntary movements that maymimic seizures. No loss or change in consciousness or postictalphenomena occur. Verbal tics also occur, especially in Tourettesyndrome.Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo
Pseudoseizures (Nonepileptic Events)
Night Terrors
Common in children 5–7 yrs of age,particularly in boys, and occur during slow-wave sleep. Childrenscream, thrash around, and appear frightened. Seem unaware of theirparents and surroundings. Difficult to console and do not rememberepisode. In contrast, nightmares occur during rapid eye movement sleep,and children can often recall episode.Migraine
Spasmus Nutans
Characterized by triad of head nodding, nystagmus,and torticollis.Evaluation
Source: The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics, 2006
Aura:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
Obtain a thorough history of the patient's headache or seizure history, asking him to describe any sensory or motor phenomena that precede each headache or seizure. Find out how long each headache or seizure typically lasts. Does anything make it worse, such as bright lights, noise, or caffeine? Does anything make it better? Ask the patient about drugs he takes for pain relief.
Then perform a complete neurologic examination.
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
Fasciculations:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
If the patient isn't in severe distress, find out if he has experienced sensory changes, such as paresthesia, or any difficulty speaking, swallowing, breathing, or controlling bowel or bladder function. Ask him if he's in pain.
Explore the patient's medical history for neurologic disorders, cancer, and recent infections. Also, ask him about his lifestyle, especially stress at home, on the job, or at school.
Ask the patient about his dietary habits and for a recall of his food and fluid intake in the recent past because electrolyte imbalances may also cause muscle twitching.
Perform a physical examination, looking for fasciculations while the affected muscle is at rest. Observe and test for motor and sensory abnormalities, particularly muscle atrophy and weakness, and decreased deep tendon reflexes. If you note these signs and symptoms, suspect motor neuron disease, and perform a comprehensive neurologic examination.
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
Level of consciousness, decreased:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
Try to obtain history information from the patient, if he's alert, and from his family. Did the patient complain of a headache, dizziness, nausea, vision or hearing disturbances, weakness, fatigue, or other problems before his LOC decreased? Has his family noticed changes in the patient's behavior, personality, memory, or temperament? Also ask about a history of neurologic disease, cancer, or recent trauma or infections; drug and alcohol use; and the development of other signs and symptoms.
Because a decreased LOC can result from a disorder affecting any body system, tailor the remainder of your evaluation according to the patient's associated symptoms.
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
Myoclonus:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
If the patient is stable, evaluate his level of consciousness (LOC) and mental status. Ask about the frequency, severity, location, and circumstances of myoclonus. Has he ever had a seizure? If so, did myoclonus precede it? Is myoclonus ever precipitated by a sensory stimulus? During the physical examination, check for muscle rigidity and wasting, and test deep tendon reflexes. Then perform a neurologic examination.
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
Seizures, generalized tonic-clonic:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
If you didn't witness the patient's seizure, obtain a description from his companion. Ask when the seizure started and how long it lasted. Did the patient report unusual sensations before the seizure began? Did the seizure start in one area of the body and spread, or did it affect the entire body right away? Did the patient fall on a hard surface? Did his eyes or head turn? Did he turn blue? Did he lose bladder control? Did he have other seizures before recovering?
If the patient may have sustained a head injury, observe him closely for loss of consciousness, unequal or nonreactive pupils, and focal neurologic signs. Does he complain of headache and muscle soreness? Is he increasingly difficult to arouse when you check on him at 20-minute intervals? Examine his arms, legs, and face (including tongue) for injury, residual paralysis, or limb weakness.
Next, obtain a history. Has the patient ever had generalized or focal seizures before? If so, do they occur frequently? Do other family members also have them? Is the patient receiving drug therapy? Is he compliant? Also, ask about sleep deprivation and emotional or physical stress at the time the seizure occurred.
Next, assess the patient's level of consciousness (LOC) and proceed with a complete neurologic examination.
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
Seizures, simple partial:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
Be sure to record the patient's seizure activity in detail; your data may be critical in locating the lesion in the brain. Does the patient turn his head and eyes? If so, to what side? Where does movement first start? Does it spread? Because a partial seizure may become generalized, you'll need to watch closely for loss of consciousness, bilateral tonicity and clonicity, cyanosis, tongue biting, and urinary incontinence. (See “Seizures, generalized tonic-clonic,” page 552.)
After the seizure, ask the patient to describe exactly what he remembers, if anything, about the seizure. Check the patient's LOC, and test for residual deficits (such as weakness in the involved extremity) and sensory disturbances.
Then obtain a history. Ask the patient what happened before the seizure. Can he describe an aura or did he recognize its onset? If so, how—by a smell, a vision disturbance, or a sound or visceral phenomenon such as an unusual sensation in his stomach? How does this seizure compare with others he has had?
Also, explore fully any history—recent or remote—of head trauma. Check for a history of stroke or recent infection, especially with fever, headache, or stiff neck.
Perform a complete neurologic examination.
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
Seizures, absence:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
If you suspect a patient is having an absence seizure, evaluate its occurrence and duration by reciting a series of numbers and then asking him to repeat them after the attack ends. If the patient has had an absence seizure, he can't do this. Alternatively, if the seizures are occurring within minutes of each other, ask the patient to count for about 5 minutes. He'll stop counting during a seizure and resume when it's over. Look for accompanying automatisms. Find out if the family has noticed a change in behavior or deteriorating schoolwork.
Next, perform a complete neurologic examination.
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
Seizures, complex partial:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
If you witness a complex partial seizure, never attempt to restrain the patient. Instead, lead him gently to a safe area. (Exception: Don't approach him if he's angry or violent.) Calmly encourage him to sit down, and remain with him until he's fully alert. After the seizure, ask him if he experienced an aura. Record all observations and findings. Obtain a history. Has the patient experienced a seizure in the past? Has he had a recent head injury? Has he experienced any fever, headaches, or periods of confusion? Obtain a complete drug history. Take his vital signs and perform a complete neurologic examination.
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
Seizures - Case 19-1: 8-Day-Old Girl:
III. Physical Examination
(Pediatric Complaints and Diagnostic Dilemmas)
IV. Diagnostic Studies
Source: Pediatric Complaints and Diagnostic Dilemmas, 2003
Seizures - Case 19-2: 10-Day-Old Boy:
III. Physical Examination
(Pediatric Complaints and Diagnostic Dilemmas)
IV. Diagnostic Studies
Source: Pediatric Complaints and Diagnostic Dilemmas, 2003
Seizures - Case 19-3: 8-Month-Old Boy:
III. Physical Examination
(Pediatric Complaints and Diagnostic Dilemmas)
IV. Diagnostic Studies
Source: Pediatric Complaints and Diagnostic Dilemmas, 2003
New devices may help some epilepsy patients who are not seizure-free after taking medications.
Join our panel of experts as they discuss various standard treatment strategies for epilepsy and the factors doctors and patients should consider as...
In the past, treating kids with epilepsy might have meant using a combination of drugs that had unwanted side effects. Now it's possible for kids...
Deciding on treatment for the seizure disorder epilepsy involves balancing several factors, including the kinds of seizures being treated and...» Next page: Diagnosis of Epilepsy
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