Skip to main content

Seizure Disorders

Sahil Mullick, FAAFP, MD and Mohamad Khalil, MD Reviewed 04/2024
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Seizure: sudden and transient symptoms (altered level of consciousness, motor manifestations) due to abnormal neuronal electrical activity in the brain.

  • Epilepsy: two or more unprovok...

DIAGNOSIS

Conventional classification of seizures 
  • Generalized seizures

    • Tonic-clonic: tonic phase: sudden loss of consciousness; clonic phase: sustained contraction followed by rhythmic contractions of ...

TREATMENT

  • Older adults are more sensitive to side effects from AEDs; use lower initial dosing  (2).

  • After an initial unprovoked seizure, 21–45% will have a recurrence within 2 years  (3).

  • Starting antie...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Maintain adequate drug therapy; ensure compliance and/or access to medication. Drug therapy withdrawal and tapering of doses may be done after a seizure-free 2-ye...

REFERENCES

1
Fisher  RS, Acevedo  C, Arzimanoglou  A, et al. ILAE official report: a practical clinical definition of epilepsy. Epilepsia.  2014;55(4):475–482. [View Abstra...

SEE ALSO

Seizures, Febrile; Status Epilepticus 

CODES

ICD10

  • G40.B1 Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, intractable

  • G40.804 Other epilepsy, intractable, without status epilepticus

  • G40.A0 Absence epileptic syndrome, not intractable

  • G40.A1 Absence epileptic synd...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Treatment depends on the type of seizure, underlying risk factors, and risk of recurrence.

  • Semiology of event is very important for diagnosis of seizures versus PNES (these patients can...

Subscribe to Access Full Content

Sign Up for a 10-Day Free Trial

Sign up for a 10-day FREE Trial now and receive full access to all content.

×