1. One of the oldest Known conditions
Epilepsy
One of the oldest Known conditions

2. Alice Hanscomb Hanscomb Training & Consultancy

3. Facts about epilepsy
1 in 20 people will have a seizure in their life time
At least 1 in 131 people have epilepsy in the UK with 75 new cases diagnosed daily
50 million world wide have epilepsy making it the most common serious neurological condition globally

4. Facts about epilepsy
80 per cent of the worlds population of people with epilepsy are in developing countries
90 per cent of people with epilepsy in developing countries are not receiving appropriate treatment

5. Facts about epilepsy Epilepsy is a physical condition
It can affect anyone at any age without warning or apparent cause
There are many different causes, about 30 different epileptic syndromes and
over 38 different seizure types
It can go into remission as suddenly as it started or last a life time

6. Facts about epilepsy Someone can have more than one type of seizure
The seizure type(s) someone has can change with time or with drug treatment

7. What is epilepsy? Epilepsy can be defined as:
A neurological condition causing the tendency for repeated seizures of primary cerebral origin

8. Physical Causes
Head injury from accidents, brain trauma, stroke, brain parasites, infections or diseases (such as cerebral malaria), scars on the brain and brain tumours.
In young children: head trauma and/or lack of oxygen during birth. Prolonged febrile convulsions. Brain malformations and/or ‘birthmarks’ on the brain cause seizures to start early in life or later on

9. Genetic causes
Increasingly recognised that there are genetic causes for epilepsy
Idiopathic epilepsy is thought to have a genetic causes
Low seizure threshold can be inherited in a small number of cases

10. International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) seizure classification
Divided into focal and generalised seizures
Important to get seizure type right as different treatments are appropriate for different seizure types

11. Focal seizures

12. Focal seizures Simple focal seizures Complex focal seizures
No impairment of consciousness
Complex focal seizures
Consciousness effected to a lesser or greater extent

13. Generalised seizures

14. Then there are unclassifiable seizures….
Generalised seizures
Secondarily generalised – focal onset
Consciousness is lost in generalised seizures
Seizure types include:
TC, T, C, AT, MC, aA, A,
Then there are unclassifiable seizures….

16. The most common seizure types:
Tonic clonic
Complex partial

17. Seizure management General guidelines
Note the time
Make the person safe
Put something soft under their head
TC: once seizure has stopped put the person on their side and clear the airway if necessary
CP: speak reassuringly, calmly and quietly. Do not physically engage the person unless you need to for their safety
Prevent others from crowding around and minimise embarrassment
Stay with them until they are themselves again
Call for medical help if:
They have injured themselves or are having difficulty breathing
If they have one seizure after another or the seizure lasts 2 mins longer than normal
The tonic clonic seizure goes on for more than 5 mins
It is the persons first seizure

18. Status Epilepticus
In Tonic clonic seizures and in seizures where breathing is impaired status is a medical emergency
In other seizure types status is easily misdiagnosed but is important to treat

19. Types of epilepsy Idiopathic – no structural cause, probably genetic
Symptomatic – structural cause
Cryptogenic – no structural cause found but one suspected

20. Some Possible Triggers
Missed medication
Lack of sleep
Stress / boredom
Irregular eating
Over indulgence of alcohol
Hormones
Visual triggers (very rare)

21. Knowing that someone ‘has epilepsy’ tells you… nothing!
Does the person have seizures or are they controlled?
If they do, what sort of seizures?
How often do they occur and is there a pattern?
Do they want/need medication and if so, which?
How is the person after their seizures?
How would they like others to manage the seizure, if at all?
How are they coping with their epilepsy?

22. Facts about epilepsy
It is thought that the reason the human brain has the ability to have seizures is that way way back in our past …
epilepsy was of evolutionary advantage

23. Facts about epilepsy
At least two animals still have epilepsy for this reason:
Mexican Waltzing Mouse
Papio Papio baboon