Seizure Record Form

HOW YOU CAN HELP THE DOCTOR

Observing & Recording Seizures There are many different types of seizures. The doctor must know which kind your child has before the right medication can be prescribed. Sometimes it's difficult to tell certain kinds of seizures from others. The doctor may not see the seizures so they must rely on you, along with what is found from the medical tests, to decide which medication to use. The better you are in describing the seizure, the easier and possibly quicker it will be for the doctor to start getting the seizures under control.

Seizure Types

The diagnosis of Epilepsy is not a simple one. Currently, there are more than 30 documented types of seizures. Further, no two people who have the disorder are affected in precisely the same manner. A seizure might entail a brief loss of consciousness, a "staring spell", convulsions or automatic behaviors such as pulling at hair or clothing, lip-biting or undressing. And while one person may have only one seizure during his or her lifetime, another may have several on any given day.
Following are some of the more common types of seizures

Generalized Seizure - Abnormal electrical activity involving the entire brain. As a result, the person having a generalized seizure loses consciousness during the seizure.

Partial Seizure - Abnormal electrical activity begins in a small portion of the brain. During partial seizures, the person remains aware to some degree but may be confused or limited in their ability to respond to others.

Tonic-clonic – Previously known as Grand Mal Seizure, Tonic-clonic is characterized by a sudden cry, fall, and/or rigidity and is followed by muscle jerks, shallow breathing or temporarily suspended breathing, bluish skin, and/or possible loss of bladder or bowel control. This type of seizure usually lasts for a couple of minutes and then normal breathing resumes. Confusion and/or fatigue may occur followed by return to full consciousness.

Complex partial – Often involves movements that look purposeful; however, actions are repeated over and over without means or purpose. The person may smack their lips or pick at or remove clothing. The person experiencing this seizure may appear frightened and run or struggle and flail at restraint. They may experience jerking or stiffening of a hand or leg. The person may be able to hear what is said and talk, but actual awareness is reduced. They may be confused and able to hear, but unable to respond. The seizure may last a few minutes followed by post seizure confusion. Usually, they have no memory of the seizure.

Absence – Previously known as Petit mal seizures. Absence includes brief losses of consciousness. The person often blinks their eyes and stares with no other indications that the seizure is occurring. Absence usually lasts a few seconds. In most cases, the person is unaware of what is going on around them and they quickly return to full awareness once the seizure has stopped.

Simple partial – Involves a sudden sensation that is not related to anything going on around the person. Jerking may begin in one area of the body such as an arm, leg or face, and the person experiencing the seizure stays awake. Jerking may proceed from one part of the body to another and sometimes spreads to become a convulsive seizure. Partial sensory seizure may not be obvious to another person. Additionally, the person having this seizure will experience a distorted environment, unexplained fear, sadness, anger or joy, and may have nausea, sense odd smells, and/or have a funny feeling in the stomach. Also present may be a prickly or tingling feeling in some part of the body.

Atonic – Involves the sudden loss of muscle tone. The body goes limp and the person falls without warning. These falls can result in injury.

Myoclonic – Sudden, brief, massive muscle jerks that may involve the whole body or parts of the body. Characterized as sudden jerks of the arm, shoulders, or head. May cause the person to spill what they are holding or fall off a chair.

Infantile spasms – Cluster of quick sudden movements occurring in infants between three and 24 months of age. If a child is sitting up, the head falls forward and the arms flex forward. If lying down, the knees draw up while arms and head flex forward. The baby appears to reach for support.

Status Epilepticus – When seizures do not stop on their own or when seizures occur in clusters without any recovery period in between, the person having the seizures is said to be in "status epilepticus." This can be a serious medical emergency for the individual who is in status. Emergency treatments for status epilepticus may differ from patient to patient based on directions given by their physicians.