Question

Basic Pharmacology:

Assume that you are assisting with medications in a busy neurological practice.

Compare and contrast seizures and epilepsy.  

A 14-year-old female patient is brought to the office. Her mother complains of her having frequent short periods of loss of consciousness (LOS). After each episode, she continues what she was doing as though nothing happened. How would you characterize the type of epilepsy this patient has?

Answer 1

Answer:

Seizure happens when there is an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain and it is characterised by loss of consciousness,muscle spasms depending on the severity, whereas, Epilepsy is neurological disorder,defined by multiple unpredictable seizures. having seizure doesn't always indicate that the patient suffer from epilepsy.

From the given information, this patient has absence seizure( earlier named as petitmal).

Absence sezure is a type of seizure which is most common in children, and this is not a harmful type.It is characterised by brief, sudden loss of consciousness. During seizure , the child suddenly stop all activities and stares blankly,eyes may turn upward with fluttering of eyelid .It can happen several times in a day and each episode may last for few seconds.When seizure end, the patient continues whatever she was doing prior to it.absence seizure can be diagnosed by performig anEEG(electroencephalogram), and a brief description about the seizure activity of the child by the one who witness it , is also important. Antiseizure medicines( eg:ethosuximide, lamotrigine, valporic acid) can control absence seizure .