Abstract
Approximately 10% of the population in the United States suffers a seizure, or convulsion, at some point during life.1 If the disorder is recurrent and unprovoked, the patient has epilepsy. At any point in time, about 0.5% of the population across all ages have active seizures requiring medical care.2 The need for the family physician to be comfortable managing seizure disorders is evident.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Scheuer ML, Pedley TA. The evaluation and treatment of seizures. N Engl J Med 1990;323:1468–74.
Engel J Jr. The epilepsies. In: Wyngaarden JB, Smith LH Jr, Bennett JC, editors. Cecil textbook of medicine. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1992:2202–13.
Dreifuss FE. Classification of epileptic seizures and the epilepsies. Pediatr Clin North Am 1989;36:265–79.
Thadani VM, Williamson PD. Classification of epileptic seizures and syndromes. Semin Neurol 1990;10:328–38.
Haslam RHA. Seizures in childhood: neonatal seizures; status epilepticus; conditions that mimic epilepsy. In: Behrman RE, Kliegman RM, Nelson WE, Vaughan VC III, editors. Nelson textbook of pediatrics. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1992:1491–506.
Palmini A, Gloor P. The localizing value of auras in partial seizures: a prospective and retrospective study. Neurology 1992;42: 801–8.
Berg AT, Shinnar S. The risk of seizure recurrence following a first unprovoked seizure: a quantitative review. Neurology 1991;41: 965–72.
So EL. Update on epilepsy. Med Clin North Am 1993;77:203–14.
McEvoy GK, editor. AHFS drug information 93. Bethesda: American Hospital Formulary Service, 1993.
Dodson WE. Medical treatment and pharmacology of antiepileptic drugs. Pediatr Clin North Am 1989;36:421–33.
Pellock JM, Willmore LJ. A rational guide to routine blood monitoring in patients receiving antiepileptic drugs. Neurology 1991;41:961–4.
Mattson RH. Selection of drugs for the treatment of epilepsy. Semin Neurol 1990;10:406–13.
Pregnancy and teratogenesis in epilepsy. Neurology 1992;42 Suppl. 5:1–160.
Porter RI, Schmidt D, Treiman DM, Nadi NS. Pharmacologic approaches to the treatment of focal seizures: past, present, and future. Adv Neurol 1992;57:607–34.
Temkin NR, Dikmen SS, Wilensky AJ, Keihm J, Chabal S, Winn HR. A randomized, double-blind study of phenytoin for the prevention of post-traumatic seizures. N Engl J Med 1990;323:497–502.
Hirtz DG. Generalized tonic-clonic and febrile seizures. Pediatr Clin North Am 1989;36:365–82.
Freeman JM, Vining EPG. Decision making and the child with afebrile seizures. Pediatr Rev 1992;13:305–310.
Krumholz A, Fisher RS, Lesser RP, Hauser WA. Driving and epilepsy: a review and reappraisal. JAMA 1991;265:622–6.
Seizures—guidelines for record review. Pediatr Rev 1992; Suppl.: 1–12.
Shielas WD. Status epilepticus. Pediatr Clin North Am 1989;36: 383–93.
Hauser WA. Status epilepticus: epidemiologic considerations. Neurology 1990;40 Suppl. 2:9–13.
Dodrill CB, Wilensky AJ. Intellectual impairment as an outcome of status epilepticus. Neurology 1990;40 Suppl. 2:23–27.
Berg AT, Shinnar S, Hauser WA, et al. A prospective study of recurrent febrile seizures. N Engl J Med 1992;327:1122–1127.
Jaffe A, McCormick, M, DeAngelis C. Which children with febrile seizures need lumbar puncture? Am J Dis Child 1983;314:1085–8.
Freeman JM, Vining EPG. Decision making and the child with febrile seizures. Pediatr Rev 1992;13:298–304.
Farwell JR, Lee HJ, Hirtz DG, et al. Phenobarbital for febrile seizures: effects on intelligence and on seizure recurrence. N Engl J Med 1990;322:364–9.
Scher MS, Painter MJ. Controversies concerning neonatal seizures. Pediatr Clin North Am 1989;36:281–310.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Middleton, D.B. (1994). Seizure Disorders. In: Taylor, R.B. (eds) Family Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4005-9_63
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4005-9_63
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-4007-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-4005-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive