The goal of this program is to update nurses' knowledge about the identification of causes, treatment, and nursing interventions for patients who have seizures. List current methods of treatment, including drugs, surgery, and diet. Describe appropriate nursing interventions during a seizure. Seizures are the result of paroxysmal bursts of disorganized electrical impulses from neurons in the cerebral cortex of the brain that disrupt normal functioning.
Epilepsy affects one percent of the population.
Ten percent of all Americans will experience a single seizure during their lifetime. However, an isolated event, such as a seizure associated with toxemia of pregnancy, does not indicate epilepsy. The diagnosis of epilepsy hinges on recurrent seizures. Many hereditary diseases are associated with seizures, such as Tay Sachs disease, PKU, metabolic disorders of lipid metabolism, neurofibromatosis, Huntington's disease, and Sturge-Weber syndrome. There is strong evidence of an inherited tendency or susceptibility to develop seizures.