The following questions should help you in gathering
the information the doctor needs.
1. What was the date of the seizure?
instructor, in making a diagnosis. There are many
different types of seizures, and a precise diagnosis is easier to make
if a clear description of the seizures is available.
In addition, after diagnosis the doctor will welcome
an ongoing record of seizures and any changes that may occur in the
pattern of the seizures or in the seizure type. Such information will
help the doctor in prescribing appropriate treatment.
If you are caring for a person who has epilepsy you
will need to know what to look for. You may miss important details if
you do not understand their relevance. Parents may soon grow to
recognise the features of epilepsy in their child. Others, such as care
staff may look after a number of people with epilepsy who are all
affected differently. To ensure consistency of information in such
instances it may be advisable to develop a standard form of recording
seizures.
SEIZURE STAGES
There may be several stages in a seizure and each
should be carefully observed and recorded.
Build up and onset
This may last for several days in the form of a
build-up of tension, or for only a few minutes. In some instances an ‘aura’
(a partial seizure) consisting of odd sensations such as an unpleasant
smell, tingling feeling or ‘butterflies’ in the stomach may precede
a major convulsive seizure.
The seizure
This may be one of many types. Each seizure is
individual to the person who has it.
The period after the seizure
Recovery may be immediate, quick or may take a few
hours. On rare occasions effects may last for as long as a few days in
the case of an elderly person. After major convulsive seizures there is
often confusion and drowsiness and sometimes unsteady gait, headache, or
slurred speech.
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What was the exact time of day?
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What was the person doing at the time?
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Had the person just fallen asleep or woken up?
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What called your attention to the seizure
(a cry, fall stare, head turn)?
Did the seizure progress slowly or quickly?
How long did each stage of the seizure last?
What parts of the body were affected?
Was one side affected more than the other?
Did the body become stiff?
Did it jerk, twitch, or go into convulsions?
Was the person unconscious?
If not, was there any alteration in awareness?
Did the skin show changes (flushed, clammy,signs
of blueness)?
Did the breathing change?
Did the person talk or perform any actions
during the seizure?
Did the person vomit during the seizure?
Did any injuries result from the seizure?
How did the person behave after the seizure
(alert, drowsy, confused)?
After recovery did the person remember any unusual
sensations before or at the onset of the seizure?
How long did the person take to recover
completely?
If the person takes medication, when was the last
dose before the seizure?
Anything else associated with the seizure you
think the doctor should know?
If you can answer all these questions you will
provide a very full picture of the person’s epilepsy. A complete
account such as this can be very useful at the onset of epilepsy or at
times of change (eg. A change in medication, or a change in the pattern
of seizures). At other times it may only be necessary to keep a
summarised record.
At all times the recording of information should be
discreet, so that each seizure does not look more important than it is.
