©THEBRIGHT EXAM SOLUTIONS 2024/2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Nurs 5461 Seizures Exam Questions With
Verified Answers
Seizures—An Update - Answers✔Provoked seizures may never recur and may not need
treatment other than treating the underlying medical condition—fever, trauma, low blood sugar,
hyponatremia, hypocalcemia, drug abuse, alcohol withdrawal
Epilepsy - Answers✔2 or more unprovoked seizures, Seizures can cause changes in
consciousness, sensation, psychological feelings, smell, vision, autonomic function and/or motor
activity
Focal seizures - Answers✔begin in one part of the cerebral hemisphere
Generalized seizures - Answers✔—begin with generalized abnormal electrical activity
Status Epilepticus - Answers✔a seizure lasting longer than 30" or multiple seizures without
return to baseline in a 30" window
Focal [Partial] Seizures - Answers✔Begin in limited region of one hemisphere and show focal
EEG abnormalities Patient may have varying levels of consciousness [LOC]
Focal without impaired consciousness [Simple partial seizures] - Answers✔No altered LOC
Usually, they are the aura that patient experiences before a larger seizure
Focal with impaired consciousness [Complex partial seizures] - Answers✔If seizure activity
spreads and involves brainstem or both hemispheres, consciousness will be altered and then
seizure is considered complex partial seizure [CPS],Altered LOC and behaviors such as
automatisms are thought of as CPS If seizure spreads bilaterally and involves the motor cortex,
patient may experience a secondarily generalized seizure
Complex Partial Seizures Focal w/LOC - Answers✔Most common type of seizures in adults
with epilepsy
During the seizure, patient appears to be awake, but not in contact with others and does not
respond to instructions or questions The seizure lasts 1-3 minutes and may be preceded by a SPS
After patient enters postictal phase, they are often somnolent, confused and complain of
headache for several hours
, ©THEBRIGHT EXAM SOLUTIONS 2024/2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Convulsive Generalized Seizures - Answers✔Electrical activity begins in both cerebral
hemispheres Usually seen with idiopathic epilepsy Consciousness is impaired EEG shows
generalized spike and wave patterns Can be difficult to distinguish tonic/clonic seizure from a
CPS that is 2nd generalized Important to do so, as meds are given based on seizure type Also
know as tonic/clonic, grand mal or major motor seizures
Tonic/Clonic Generalized Seizures - Answers✔Begins with abrupt loss of consciousness All of
muscles of arms/legs, as well as chest and back, become stiff Patient may appear cyanotic during
this tonic phase After 1 minute or so, muscles begin to jerk and twitch for an additional 1-2
minutes Post ictal phase begins once twitching movements end
Nonconvulsive Generalized Seizures Atonic Seizures - Answers✔Sudden loss of control of
muscles, especially in legs that causes collapse to the ground and possible injury Also known as
drop attacks or drop seizures
Nonconvulsive Generalized Seizures absence - Answers✔Brief seizures Patient may be initially
diagnosed as a "daydreamer" Seizures of childhood Last 5-10 seconds Often occur in clusters
and may occur dozenshundreds of times a day
Epilepsy and Epileptic Syndromes - Answers✔Many epilepsies develop in childhood, 70% of
them [especially focal [partial] types], will remit by puberty Generalized epilepsies usually
manifest by age 18 Brain tumors are a prominent cause of seizure in young adults, whereas
strokes are often the cause of seizures in srs.
Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures [PINES] - Answers✔Paroxysmal seizure-like events that
result from psychological disturbances 80% are associated with early sexual abuse [especially in
women] Previously referred to as pseudoseizures They mimic true seizures, so getting the
diagnosis is critical
EEG is normal, no incontinence,
Epidemiology and Causes - Answers✔Seizure disorders occur in families—parents, siblings and
children of a patient with a seizure disorder are 3-5% more likely than general population to
develop epilepsy
Pathophysiology SZ - Answers✔Uncontrollable paroxysm caused by abnormal, synchronous,
repetitive firing of neurons in the brain. Many things can initiate seizures—drug overdose, drug
withdrawal, head trauma, strokes, degenerative brain disease, temporal sclerosis, infections,
tumors ***Common epileptic feature here is populations of brain neurons to become
hyperexcitable
Disorders that cause hyperexcitable neurons - Answers✔fever, infection, sleep deprivation,
hypocalcemia, hypoglycemia, hyponatremia, hypoxia Genetic defects in the structure of ion
pumps or ion channels can cause seizures
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Nurs 5461 Seizures Exam Questions With
Verified Answers
Seizures—An Update - Answers✔Provoked seizures may never recur and may not need
treatment other than treating the underlying medical condition—fever, trauma, low blood sugar,
hyponatremia, hypocalcemia, drug abuse, alcohol withdrawal
Epilepsy - Answers✔2 or more unprovoked seizures, Seizures can cause changes in
consciousness, sensation, psychological feelings, smell, vision, autonomic function and/or motor
activity
Focal seizures - Answers✔begin in one part of the cerebral hemisphere
Generalized seizures - Answers✔—begin with generalized abnormal electrical activity
Status Epilepticus - Answers✔a seizure lasting longer than 30" or multiple seizures without
return to baseline in a 30" window
Focal [Partial] Seizures - Answers✔Begin in limited region of one hemisphere and show focal
EEG abnormalities Patient may have varying levels of consciousness [LOC]
Focal without impaired consciousness [Simple partial seizures] - Answers✔No altered LOC
Usually, they are the aura that patient experiences before a larger seizure
Focal with impaired consciousness [Complex partial seizures] - Answers✔If seizure activity
spreads and involves brainstem or both hemispheres, consciousness will be altered and then
seizure is considered complex partial seizure [CPS],Altered LOC and behaviors such as
automatisms are thought of as CPS If seizure spreads bilaterally and involves the motor cortex,
patient may experience a secondarily generalized seizure
Complex Partial Seizures Focal w/LOC - Answers✔Most common type of seizures in adults
with epilepsy
During the seizure, patient appears to be awake, but not in contact with others and does not
respond to instructions or questions The seizure lasts 1-3 minutes and may be preceded by a SPS
After patient enters postictal phase, they are often somnolent, confused and complain of
headache for several hours
, ©THEBRIGHT EXAM SOLUTIONS 2024/2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Convulsive Generalized Seizures - Answers✔Electrical activity begins in both cerebral
hemispheres Usually seen with idiopathic epilepsy Consciousness is impaired EEG shows
generalized spike and wave patterns Can be difficult to distinguish tonic/clonic seizure from a
CPS that is 2nd generalized Important to do so, as meds are given based on seizure type Also
know as tonic/clonic, grand mal or major motor seizures
Tonic/Clonic Generalized Seizures - Answers✔Begins with abrupt loss of consciousness All of
muscles of arms/legs, as well as chest and back, become stiff Patient may appear cyanotic during
this tonic phase After 1 minute or so, muscles begin to jerk and twitch for an additional 1-2
minutes Post ictal phase begins once twitching movements end
Nonconvulsive Generalized Seizures Atonic Seizures - Answers✔Sudden loss of control of
muscles, especially in legs that causes collapse to the ground and possible injury Also known as
drop attacks or drop seizures
Nonconvulsive Generalized Seizures absence - Answers✔Brief seizures Patient may be initially
diagnosed as a "daydreamer" Seizures of childhood Last 5-10 seconds Often occur in clusters
and may occur dozenshundreds of times a day
Epilepsy and Epileptic Syndromes - Answers✔Many epilepsies develop in childhood, 70% of
them [especially focal [partial] types], will remit by puberty Generalized epilepsies usually
manifest by age 18 Brain tumors are a prominent cause of seizure in young adults, whereas
strokes are often the cause of seizures in srs.
Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures [PINES] - Answers✔Paroxysmal seizure-like events that
result from psychological disturbances 80% are associated with early sexual abuse [especially in
women] Previously referred to as pseudoseizures They mimic true seizures, so getting the
diagnosis is critical
EEG is normal, no incontinence,
Epidemiology and Causes - Answers✔Seizure disorders occur in families—parents, siblings and
children of a patient with a seizure disorder are 3-5% more likely than general population to
develop epilepsy
Pathophysiology SZ - Answers✔Uncontrollable paroxysm caused by abnormal, synchronous,
repetitive firing of neurons in the brain. Many things can initiate seizures—drug overdose, drug
withdrawal, head trauma, strokes, degenerative brain disease, temporal sclerosis, infections,
tumors ***Common epileptic feature here is populations of brain neurons to become
hyperexcitable
Disorders that cause hyperexcitable neurons - Answers✔fever, infection, sleep deprivation,
hypocalcemia, hypoglycemia, hyponatremia, hypoxia Genetic defects in the structure of ion
pumps or ion channels can cause seizures
