This is an automatically translated article.
When a seizure occurs causing the patient to convulse. If the convulsion lasts from 30 to 45 minutes without prompt treatment, it can cause serious complications due to brain damage.
1. What is status epilepticus?
Status epilepticus is a state in which consecutive seizures occur. During this stage, the patient has neurological symptoms such as impaired consciousness. Followed by convulsions. If the seizure lasts too long, it will cause a clinical picture, brain damage with many other serious consequences.
When there is a convulsion lasting more than 30-45 minutes, it can cause brain damage (especially limbic structures such as hippocampus): brain, neurological sequelae, permanent intellectual. In addition, status epilepticus can have many other consequences.
Trạng thái động kinh kéo dài sẽ gây ảnh hưởng nghiêm trọng tới não
2. What causes status epilepticus?
Causes of status epilepticus are divided into:
2.1 Acute CNS damage Encephalitis or meningitis: Viral, fungal, parasitic, bacterial tuberculosis Venous thrombosis Brain: Occurs due to infection, blood clotting disorder,... Patients with cerebrovascular disease: cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage. Traumatic brain damage Have hypertensive encephalopathy Brain damage due to hypoxia, anemia 2.2 Patients with chronic central nervous system damage Have a history of cerebrovascular accident, or brain tumor . Having metabolic disorders or poisoning Due to drug overdose, withdrawal syndrome, alcohol or reaction to oral treatment such as betalactam, theophylline Sudden increase or decrease in blood sugar. Children with high fever also cause status epilepticus.
Trẻ em bị sốt cao cũng dễ dẫn tới co giật
3. What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a disease caused by a disorder of the central nervous system. The sudden change in brain activity causes the body to have unexplained, repetitive seizures. Having abnormal behavior and feeling related to neurological problems, the sufferer loses consciousness for a short period of time from 1 to 3 minutes. After a seizure, consciousness will gradually recover.
Anyone, young or old, can have epilepsy. However, children are more susceptible to epilepsy than adults.
4. Causes of Epilepsy
According to research, most people with epilepsy have no cause. The rest is mainly due to factors affecting the brain such as: genetics, head trauma, brain disease, infectious diseases, developmental disorders, and prenatal injuries. In addition, seizures in children also increase the risk of epilepsy.
Chấn thương ở đâu làm tăng nguy cơ mắc bệnh động kinh
5. Epilepsy in Children
Diagnosing epilepsy in children is more difficult than it is in adults because the seizures end so quickly that the doctor can't see what's going on.
Most young children have an epileptic seizure that lasts about 2 minutes. If it lasts for 5 minutes or more, it will not be possible to stop, at this time, the child will have to take medicine to stop the seizure.
In addition, if the child has symptoms such as: Difficulty breathing, convulsing for more than 5 minutes, showing pain when convulsing, not responding to calls from parents after having convulsions for 30 minutes, it is necessary to hurry. Take the baby to the nearest medical facility for timely intervention.
Children with high fever if above 38.5 degrees Celsius will have convulsions. When a child has a convulsion, fever-reducing medications should be used to prevent convulsions. In addition, for children with a history of convulsions due to high fever, parents need to be very careful, to avoid having the child relapse many times.
6. Can epilepsy be cured?
Epilepsy can be cured in a small number of cases after the patient is given medication or surgical intervention, after which medication is no longer necessary and the seizures do not reappear.
Usually, to treat epilepsy, doctors will treat it by giving medication. If medication isn't making progress or working, your doctor may recommend surgery.
Ở mức độ nhẹ bệnh động kinh có thể được điều trị bằng thuốc
7. Notes to limit the occurrence of epilepsy
Epilepsy can be controlled if the following measures are applied:
Identify the cause: People with epilepsy need to learn and know the cause of the seizure, how to avoid it from happening again, and control it. his behavior; Medication: Antiepileptic drugs can help control seizures in 70% of people. Therefore, you should use the drug treatment according to the instructions of the doctor to be safe for yourself. Regular treatment evaluation by periodic follow-up visits as directed by the physician. Usually at least once a year. Take care of yourself with exercise, mental and physical comfort, prevent illness or accidents. Epilepsy can be cured or will stay with the child for life. The best way to keep your child safe from injury and sudden death during a seizure is to use seizure prevention measures, make sure your child takes his or her medication regularly, and follow your doctor's instructions.
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