SEIZURES

Seizure

Occurs when the brain functions abnormally

Resulting in a change in movement, attention, or level of awareness

Types Generalized Partial

Around 3% of all children have a seizure when younger than 15 years, half of which are febrile seizures (seizure brought on by a fever). One of every 100 children has epilepsy-recurring seizures.

Febrile Seizures

Most common type of seizure among children

Occurs when a child contracts an illness such as an ear infection, cold or chickenpox accompanied by fever.

Two to five percent of children have a febrile seizure at some point during their childhood.

Etiology for Febrile Seizure

Unknown etiology Risk Factors

Children with relatives, especially brothers and sisters, who have had febrile seizures are more likely to have a similar episodes

Children who are developmentally delayed or who have spent more than 28 days in a NICU are also more likely to have a febrile seizure.

One of 4 children who have a febrile seizure will have another, usually within a year.

Children who have had a febrile seizure in the past are also more likely to have a second episode.

Partial seizures

Involves only a part of the brain and therefore only a part of the body.

Simple partial (Jacksonian) seizures have a motor (movement) component that is located in one portion of the body. Children with these seizures remain awake and alert.

Movement abnormalities can "march" to other parts of the body as the seizure progresses.

Complex partial seizures - the child is not aware of what is going on. Children repeat an activity, such as clapping, throughout

the seizure. Have no memory of this activity. After the seizure ends, the child is often disoriented in a

state known as the postictal period.

Generalized Seizures

involve a much larger portion of the brain.

They are grouped into 2 types: convulsive (tonic-clonic) and nonconvulsive (petit mal) with several subgroups.

Status epilepticus

a seizure lasting longer than 30 minutes or repeated seizures without a return to normal in between them.

common in children younger than 2 years

Status epilepticus is very serious

Epilepsy

refers to a pattern of chronic seizures of any type over a long period.

Thirty percent of children diagnosed with epilepsy continue to have repeated seizures into adulthood, while others improve over time.

Other reasons for seizures

Infections Metabolic disorders Drugs Medications Poisons Disordered blood vessels Bleeding inside the brain Many yet undiscovered problems

Diagnostics

Medical history, birth history Recent illness, medications/chemicals Blood tests – to check casue of fever Lumbar puncture CT Scan or MRI EEG

Medical Treatment

Treatment of children with seizures is different than treatment for adults. Unless a specific cause is found, most children with first-time seizures will not be placed on medications.

Important reasons for not starting medications During the first visit, many doctors cannot

be sure if the event was a seizure or something else.

Many seizure medications have side effects including damage the child's liver or teeth.

Many children will have only one, or very few, seizures.

If medications are started The doctor will follow the drug levels, which

require frequent blood tests, and will watch closely for side effects.

It may take weeks to months to adjust the medications, and sometimes more than one medicine is needed.

If the child has status epilepticus, he or she will be treated very aggressively with antiseizure medications, admitted to the intensive care unit, and possibly be placed on a ventilator.

UPDATE…. Researchers develop seizure-detecting deviceMedical Devices Business Review. Published 03 February

2011 A device which can detect the occurrence of seizures and

immediately alert the patient's caregiver has been developed by researchers at SmartMonitor.

The SmartWatch, which looks similar to a wristwatch, can be worn on the wrist, leg or ankle, and it connects wirelessly to other devices via Bluetooth.

The device works by detecting abnormal movements and then signals the Blue-tooth enabled device, which alerts the caregiver within 10 seconds of seizure occurrence.

According to researchers, the new device is especially useful for monitoring patients during the night, when seizures might go unnoticed.

The SmartWatch also records the seizure activity, and other aspects such as the seizure timing, seizure duration, which can be helpful for neurologists to prescribe medications.

Clinical trials of first-time prototype were successfully completed at Stanford University in June 2010, and researchers are planning to soon conduct further clinical studies at UC San Francisco, US.