Dealing With Epilepsy
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
“Epilepsy is a neurological condition, which affects the nervous system. Epilepsy is also known as a seizure disorder. It is usually diagnosed after a person has had at least two seizures that were not caused by some known medical condition like alcohol withdrawal or extremely low blood sugar.”
Major Types of Epilepsy
Types of Epilepsy | Generalized Epilepsy | Partial Epilepsy |
Idiopathic (genetic causes) | - Tends to appear during childhood/adolescence -No nervous system abnormalities other than seizures. -Normal Intelligence -Treated with medication -Possibly outgrown as child ages. | - Benign focal epilepsy of childhood |
Symptomatic (cause unknown) or cryptogenic (cause unknown) | -Caused by brain damage -In addition to seizures, there are often other neurological problems, such as mental retardation or cerebral palsy. | - Temporal lobe epilepsy - Frontal lobe epilepsy Others |
Types of Seizures
Generalized Seizures
1. "Grand Mal" or Generalized tonic-clonic: Unconsciousness, convulsions, muscle rigidity
2. Absence: Brief loss of consciousness
3. Myoclonic: Sporadic (isolated), jerking movements
4. Clonic: Repetitive, jerking movements
5. Tonic: Muscle stiffness, rigidity
6. Atonic: Loss of muscle tone
http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/guide/types-of-seizures-their-symptoms
What to Do When a Student Has a Seizure
- Stay calm and keep students calm.
- Move any hard or sharp objects away from student (Pencils, desks, chairs, etc.).
- Remove or loosen any clothing items around the student’s neck that could impair breathing.
- Attempt to turn the student onto their side, but do not force them. This will aid their breathing.
- Do not restrain the student during the seizure.
- Do not use CPR unless the student does not start breathing again after the seizure.
- Stay with the student throughout the seizure.
- Reassure the student as they regain consciousness that everything is okay.
- Follow whatever procedures have been established for notifying parents that a seizure has occurred.
- Contact Emergency Services if:
a. The seizure is longer than five minutes.
b. The student is not wearing an epilepsy/seizure disorder ID.
c. The student is pregnant or carrying other medical ID.
d. The student has a slow recovery, a second seizure, or difficult breathing afterward.
e. Signs of injury are apparent.
Obtaining assistance:
Local: The MUSC Comprehensive Epilepsy Program: Multidisciplinary epilepsy care for patients of all ages including infants, children, adolescents, adults and the elderly.
State: South Carolina Epilepsy Foundation: Closed due to lack of funding.
National: There are a variety of national organizations devoted to spreading epilepsy awareness and acceptance. Some include the National Epilepsy Foundation, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE), Epilepsy Institute, and People Against Childhood Epilepsy (PACE) along with many others.
Accommodations:
- The teacher, school nurse, and fellow students should be made aware of a student’s condition so that the proper precautions may be taken.
- The teacher should make sure that the students are educated about what epilepsy is, what it means, and that it should not interfere with everyday classroom activities.
- However, the teacher should also make the students aware of what to do if a seizure does occur by following the steps listed above.
- The nurse/teacher should have an emergency contact in case of a seizure.
- Open discussion should be had if the child is comfortable discussing their disorder.
Professional Support Services
School nurse
Pediatrician
Neurological specialist
Emergency medical specialists
Children’s Hospitals
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