Seizures - Medical Causes and Management

Seizures are frightening events. They frighten the patients who experience them; they frighten those who witness them; they also frighten many physicians who have to deal with them. Most individuals with seizures present to family physicians or to emergency room physicians. However, despite the fact that seizures are among the most common neurological conditions, most general practitioners, family practice specialists, and intemists do not see large numbers of patients with seizures. Given the apoplectic appearance of generalized tonic clonic convulsions, it is not difficult to understand why they arouse such emotional responses in those that experience them, those that witness them, and those whose care is sought for them. Seizures are symptoms of something wrong with the brain. Many different kinds of perturbations in brain anatomy, chemistry, or physiology can produce seizures. For many individuals, seizures occur in the context of an acute illness and will not recur once that illness is treated. These individuals do not have epilepsy. They have transient disturbances in brain function attributable to systemic medical conditions. It is important to recognize these issues, because, first, the seizure may be the initial, or even only, manifestation of the underlying medical problem and this needs to be recognized.

List of contents

1 Definitions and Epidemiology.- 2 Pathophysiology of Acute Symptomatic Seizures.- 3 Seizures in Acute Neurological Disorders.- 4 Seizures in Multisystem Disease Affecting the Nervous System.- 5 Seizures and Organ Failure.- 6 Seizures and Electrolyte Imbalance.- 7 Seizures and Endocrine Disorders.- 8 Seizures, Fever, and Systemic Infection.- 9 Medication-Associated Seizures.- 10 Alcohol and Seizures.- 11 Seizures and Illicit Drug Use.- 12 Seizures Attributable to Environmental Toxins.- 13 Seizures in Cancer Patients.- 14 Seizures Associated with Hypoxic-Ischemic Cardiopulmonary Disorders.- 15 Seizures, Hypertension, and Posterior Leukoencephalopathy.- 16 Seizures Following Organ Transplantation.- 17 Seizures and Syncope.- 18 Seizures in the Tropics.- 19 Seizures in the ICU Patient.- 20 Status Epilepticus in the Critically Ill.- 21 Anticonvulsants in Acute Medical Illness.

Summary

Seizures are frightening events. Most individuals with seizures present to family physicians or to emergency room physicians. However, despite the fact that seizures are among the most common neurological conditions, most general practitioners, family practice specialists, and intemists do not see large numbers of patients with seizures.

Additional text

Foreword by Marc Dichter, MD, PhD, Director, Penn Epilepsy Center, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

"Seizures are big events in the life of an individual. Seizures have big consequences. Seizures deserve big treatment. Norman Delanty has recognized this and with this book has filled a significant hole in our medical literature." -Marc A. Dichter, MD

"This book focuses on the circumstances under which seizures develop in any given condition, how to recognize this potential life-threatening complication, and how to effectively treat it within the context of that disease. As such it is destined to become a "must have" book for almost anyone practicing medicine-in the office or in the hospital-regardless of one's specialty or the mix of patient's in one's practice. Seizures are big events in the life of an individual. Seizures have big consequences. Seizures deserve big treatment. Norman Delanty has recognized this and with this book has filled a significant hole in our medical literature." -Marc A. Dichter, MD

"This book covers the most common clinical aspects of seizures encountered in many diseases. The different symptoms and signs and management of different medical diseases are illustrated thoroughly and this well organized book makes it easy to locate the information readers need. Seizures indeed are scary events in the life of individual patient. The medical causes of seizures are very common. There are not many books that integrate all this information together. In this sense it is mandatory to have such a book as this one. Physicians in many medical specialties will benefit from this book." -Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Journal, Weighted Numerical Score: 90 - 4 Stars!

"...general physicians, neurologists, and those working in the accident and emergency department, and this book, which is both readable and comprehensively referenced, will be of interest to all these groups."-Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry

Report

Foreword by Marc Dichter, MD, PhD, Director, Penn Epilepsy Center, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

"Seizures are big events in the life of an individual. Seizures have big consequences. Seizures deserve big treatment. Norman Delanty has recognized this and with this book has filled a significant hole in our medical literature." -Marc A. Dichter, MD

"This book focuses on the circumstances under which seizures develop in any given condition, how to recognize this potential life-threatening complication, and how to effectively treat it within the context of that disease. As such it is destined to become a "must have" book for almost anyone practicing medicine-in the office or in the hospital-regardless of one's specialty or the mix of patient's in one's practice. Seizures are big events in the life of an individual. Seizures have big consequences. Seizures deserve big treatment. Norman Delanty has recognized this and with this book has filled a significant hole in our medical literature." -Marc A. Dichter, MD

"This book covers the most common clinical aspects of seizures encountered in many diseases. The different symptoms and signs and management of different medical diseases are illustrated thoroughly and this well organized book makes it easy to locate the information readers need. Seizures indeed are scary events in the life of individual patient. The medical causes of seizures are very common. There are not many books that integrate all this information together. In this sense it is mandatory to have such a book as this one. Physicians in many medical specialties will benefit from this book." -Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Journal, Weighted Numerical Score: 90 - 4 Stars!

"...general physicians, neurologists, and those working in the accident and emergency department, and this book, which is both readable and comprehensively referenced, will be of interest to all these groups."-Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry

Product details

• Assisted by: Norma Delanty (Editor), Norman Delanty (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 09.07.2009
• EAN: 9780896038271
• ISBN: 978-0-89603-827-1
• No. of pages: 368
• Weight: 948 g
• Illustrations: XII, 368 p.
• Series: Current Clinical Practice; Current Clinical Practice
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Medicine > Non-clinical medicine; C, Medicine, Neurology