Causes of seizures

Convulsions present as altered consciousness, change in body motor movements, including tonic (stiffening) and clonic (jerking movements). Potential causes of convulsions need to be considered when nursing the child presenting with seizures:

• Febrile convulsions, usually observed in the child under 5 years with sudden onset of pyrexia, often associated with viral illness
  
• Metabolic imbalance, including hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar)
  
• Head trauma: a seizure may indicate increase a rise in intracranial pressure
  
• Infection, encephalitis or meningitis
  
• Syncope; a faint caused by a decrease in blood pressure
  
• Breath holding, hypoxia or reflex anoxic seizures present with tonic movements in response to a sudden painful stimulus
  
• Alcohol or drug toxicity
  
• Congenital brain abnormality or tumour may present as focal seizures
  
• Epilepsy.