SEIZURES

AND
SHOCK
Seizures are changes
in the brain’s electrical
activity. This can cause
dramatic, noticeable
symptoms or even no
symptoms at all.
What Are the Types of Seizures?
Partialseizures are associated with
epilepsy, a condition that causes
repeated seizures. This seizure type
happens on only one side of the
brain. As a result, one side of the
body is affected during a seizure.
Other names for partial seizures
include focal, Jacksonian, and
temporal lobe seizures.
Generalized seizures take place on
both sides of the brain. This seizure type
affects both sides of the body.
What Are the Symptoms of a Seizure?
Some seizures occur with warning
signs before the seizure takes
place. These include:
sudden feelings of fear or
anxiousness
feeling sick to your stomach
dizziness
changes in vision
What Are the Symptoms of a Seizure?
Seizure symptoms, such as the following, take
place after these symptoms and indicate a
seizure in progress:
a blackout of time, followed by confusion
 uncontrollable muscle spasms
 drooling or frothing at the mouth
 experiencing a strange taste in your mouth
 clenching teeth
 sudden, rapid eye movements
 making unusual noises, such as grunting
 losing control of bladder or bowel function
 sudden mood changes
What Causes the Condition?
Seizures can stem from a number of health conditions.
Anything that affects the body also may disturb the
brain and lead to a seizure. Some examples include:
 alcohol withdrawal  electricshock
 bites and/or stings  epilepsy
 brain infection, such  extremely high blood
as meningitis pressure
 brain injury during  fever
childbirth  head trauma
 brain defect present  kidney or liver failure
at birth  low blood glucose
 Choking levels
 drug abuse  stroke
What Are the Effects of Seizures?
 Ifleft untreated, seizures can worsen in
terms of symptoms and become
progressively longer in duration.
 Extremely long seizures can lead to coma
or death.
 Seizures also can lead to injury, such as
trauma to the body if convulsions are
involved.
 A person who experiences seizures also
should notify friends and family of how to
care for the person while a seizure is
occurring.
How Are Seizures Diagnosed?
Physicians can have a difficult time
diagnosing seizure types. Your doctor
may suggest many tests to accurately
diagnose a seizure to ensure treatment
recommendations will be effective.
Your doctor will consider your full
medical history and the events leading
up to the seizure. For example,
conditions such as migraine
headaches, sleep disorders, and
extreme psychological stress can cause
seizure-like symptoms.
How Are Seizures Diagnosed?
Lab tests may help to further rule out
other conditions that can cause
seizure-like activity. These include:
 blood testing to check for
electrolyte imbalances
 spinal tap to rule out infection
 toxicology screening to test for
drugs, poisons, or toxins
How Are Seizures Diagnosed?
An electroencephalography or EEG
test can help a physician diagnose a
seizure.
Imaging scans such as a CT scan or
MRI scan also can help by providing a
clear picture of the brain, allowing
your doctor to see any abnormalities
like blocked blood flow or a tumor.
How Is the Condition Prevented?
 In many instances, a seizure cannot be
prevented. However, maintaining a
healthy lifestyle can give you the best
chance at reducing your risk. This
includes getting plenty of sleep, eating a
healthy diet, and exercising regularly.
 Engaging in stress-reducing techniques
may help to reduce seizures. You also
should refrain from taking illegal drugs.
 If you are on medication for epilepsy or
other medical conditions, be sure to take
them as directed to prevent seizures.
How Is the Condition Treated?
 The area around a person should be
cleared during a seizure to prevent
possible injury. The person should be
placed on his or her side with the head
cushioned.
 Stay with the person and contact
emergency responders as soon as
possible if the seizure lasts longer than
two to five minutes, if the person does not
awaken after the seizure, or if he or she
experiences repeat seizures.
 Treatments for seizures vary based upon
the seizure’s cause.
How Is the Condition Treated?
Ifthe seizures are due to epilepsy,
treatments include:
• medications
• surgery to correct brain abnormalities
• nerve stimulation
• special diet, known as a ketogenic diet
• With regular treatment, those with epilepsy
can experience a reduction or cessation
of seizure symptoms.
Shock is a state of physical
shutdown. Your body enters
shock when there is not
enough circulating blood.
Shock can cause multiple
organ failure. It can lead to
life-threatening complications,
such as heart failure.
 Major types of shock include:
• cardiogenic
• anaphylactic
• septic
• hypovolemic
 All
forms of shock are life-threatening.
Any symptoms of shock should be
reported to a medical professional
immediately.
What Are the Signs That Someone Is in
Shock?
 decrease in blood pressure
 rapid, weak, or absent pulse
 irregular heart rate
 confusion
 cool, clammy skin
 falling
 rapid and shallow breathing
 lightheadedness
 decrease in urine
What Are the Signs That Someone Is in
Shock?
 chest pain
 nausea
 thirst and dry mouth
 low blood sugar
 dilated pupils or lackluster eyes
 fever (septic shock only)
 hives and swelling of the face and throat
(anaphylactic shock only)
What Causes Shock to Occur?
 Anythingthat affects the flow of blood
through the body can cause shock. Some
common causes of shock are:
• significant blood loss
• dehydration
• allergic reaction
• reduced blood pressure
• heart failure
• nerve damage
• blood infections
Types of Shock
1. Anaphylactic Shock
Anaphylactic shock is a
complication of a severe allergic
reaction (anaphylaxis). Allergic
reactions occur when your body
mistakenly sees a harmless
substance as harmful. This causes it
to send out antibodies to attack.
Types of Shock
 Anaphylaxis is usually caused by food allergies
or insect bites. A mild reaction may just cause
symptoms such as hives or a rash. A major
reaction can lead to:
• difficulty breathing (due to swelling in the airways)
• low blood pressure
• blocked airways
• rapid pulse
• shock
 People with severe allergies often carry a
device called an EpiPen/Twinject. This is a
device that can automatically inject a
hormone called epinephrine. It is used to stop
an allergic reaction and prevent anaphylactic
shock.
Types of Shock
2. Cardiogenic Shock
Damage to the heart can decrease the
blood flow to the body. This can lead to
cardiogenic shock.
Common causes of cardiogenic shock are:
 heart muscle damage
 irregular heart rhythm
 tears in the heart
 very slow heart rhythm
Types of Shock
3. Hypovolemic Shock
This form of shock is brought on by severe
blood loss. After blood loss, there is not
enough blood to supply the vital organs. This
leads to shock.
4. Septic Shock
Sometimes infections cause bacteria to
enter the bloodstream. This can lead to a
condition called sepsis (blood poisoning).
Septic shock occurs when bacteria and their
toxins damage tissues or organs in the body.
Dealing with Shock
Shock can lead to unconsciousness. It
can also cause both respiratory and
cardiac arrest. If a person goes into
shock and becomes unconscious, call
911. Then follow these steps:
• Check to see if the person is still
breathing and if he or she has a
heartbeat.
• If you don’t detect a heartbeat or
breathing, begin rescue breathing and
emergency CPR.
Dealing with Shock
• If the person is breathing:
Check his or her breathing every
five minutes.
Lay him or her on his or her back.
Elevate his or her feet at least 12
inches above the ground. This
position is referred to as the shock
position. It helps keep blood in the
vital organs, where it is most
needed.
Dealing with Shock
• If you suspect movement may harm
the person, leave him or her lying flat.
You should not move someone who
has injuries to the:
head
neck
back
spine
legs

• Apply first aid to any visible wounds.

Dealing with Shock
• If the person begins to vomit,
turn his or her head sideways.
This helps to prevent choking.
• However, if the person has an
injury to the spine, do not turn
his or her head. Instead,
stabilize the neck, then roll his
or her entire body to the side.
Diagnosing Shock
The symptoms of shock are often enough to
diagnose the condition. Doctors will also look
for:
 low blood pressure
 weak pulse
 rapid heartbeat
The first priority is lifesaving treatment. The goal
is to get blood circulating through the body
again as quickly as possible. Once the person
is stable, doctors will then try to diagnose
whatever caused the shock. This is often done
using imaging and blood tests.
Imaging Tests
Imaging tests may be used to check for
injuries such as:
 fracture  X-ray
 organ rupture  Blood Tests
 muscle or tendon tears  Blood tests can look
 abnormal growths for:
 Such tests include:  an infection in the

 ultrasound
blood (sepsis)
 significant blood loss
 CT scan (computed
tomography scan)  signs of drug or

 MRI (magnetic
medication overdose
resonance imaging)
Treatment for Shock
Treatment for shock depends on why the
shock occurred. The different types of shock
are all treated differently.
For example:
 Hypovolemic shock is
usually treated by blood  Shock caused by
transfusion. You will receive anaphylaxis is treated with
donor blood to replace the epinephrine and other
blood you lost. It is pumped drugs.
into your vein through an  Cardiogenic shock is
intravenous (IV) line. treated by improving blood
 Shock caused by flow through your heart.
dehydration is treated with
IV fluids.
Can Someone Recover Fully From
Shock?
A full recovery from shock is possible. However,
recovery depends greatly on the length of
time the person was in shock. Other factors
that determine recovery are:
 what organs were affected
 extent of organ damage
 extent of nursing care
 age
 cause of shock
Shock has a high risk of death. It is critical to call 911
immediately if you find someone experiencing
symptoms of shock.
Preventing Shock
Some forms of shock are preventable. Take
the following steps to reduce your risk of
developing shock:
 Stay hydrated.
 Wear proper footwear to prevent falls
 To prevent injury, wear protective gear when taking
part in contact sports or using dangerous equipment.
 Carry an epinephrine injector if you have severe
allergies. This can stop an allergic reaction before it
becomes anaphylactic shock.