What it means
For a short time the brain's nerve cells fire in an uncontrolled way. A seizure may cause jerking of the whole body (a tonic-clonic seizure), staring spells, odd movements of one body part, or confusion. Causes include epilepsy, fever in young children, low blood sugar, low sodium, head injury and drug withdrawal.
For the nurse
During a seizure, stay with the client, protect the head, turn them to the side, loosen tight clothing and put nothing in the mouth. Time it and note what it looked like. Afterward, check the airway, breathing and level of consciousness; a seizure lasting 5 minutes or more needs urgent help.
In a chart
"Generalized tonic-clonic seizure lasting 90 seconds; client placed on side, airway clear, drowsy after."
At a glance
| Spanish | convulsión |
|---|---|
| Also written | seizures, convulsion, convulsions |
Related terms
hypoglycemia
A blood glucose level below normal, under 70 mg/dL.
central nervous system
The brain and the spinal cord together.
intracranial pressure
The pressure inside the skull, made by the brain, the blood and the fluid around the brain.