Seizures

Flashcards defining key terminology, clinical classifications, phases of seizures, and pathological states related to veterinary emergency conditions including collapse, unconsciousness, epilepsy, and electrocution.

Collapse

The inability to rise; categorized clinically as either conscious or unconscious.

Conscious Collapse

A condition in which the animal is unwilling or unable to rise, yet remains aware of its surroundings, responsive to handling, and maintains normal eye reflexes.

Unconscious Collapse

A state in which the animal is unresponsive to external stimuli but continues breathing.

Unconsciousness

A state occurring when the brain is affected so that the animal is unable to respond to external stimuli, measured in depth as either stupor or coma.

Stupor

A state of unconsciousness from which the animal can be roused with difficulty, while retaining pedal withdrawal, pupillary light, and palpebral reflexes.

Coma

A profound state of unconsciousness from which the animal cannot be roused, characterized by absent pedal reflexes, sluggish to absent eye reflexes, and progressive pupillary dilation as death approaches.

Convulsions

Involuntary contractions of muscle causing sudden and irregular movement of the body.

Epilepsy

A chronic neurological disorder caused by waves of disorganized electrical activity in the brain, resulting in repeated seizures.

Petit Mal Seizures

A type of seizure involving brief spells of unconsciousness or "spacing out" without an accompanying physical collapse.

Grand Mal Seizures

The most common form of seizure in small animals (generalized seizure), involving the entire body in muscle spasms, stiffness/contraction cycles (tonic/clonic action), and complete loss of consciousness.

Focal Seizures

Also called partial motor seizures; seizures involving involuntary activity in only one body part (such as "chewing gum" fits), during which consciousness may or may not be impaired.

Psychomotor Seizures

Also called complex partial seizures; focal seizures where abnormal behavior (such as fly-biting, aggression, or spacing out) predominates rather than actual physical convulsions, accompanied by disturbed consciousness.

Status Epilepticus

A critical emergency defined by persistent convulsions lasting longer than 5 minutes or consecutive seizures occurring one after another without recovery.

Pre-Ictal Phase

The initial stage preceding a seizure, characterized by altered behavior, anxiety, disorientation, unsteadiness, attention-seeking, hiding, or hyperexcitability.

Ictal Phase

The active seizure period, commonly marked by lateral recumbency, a tense body with extended limbs, paddling, salivating or frothing, loss of bladder/rectal control, and lack of environmental awareness.

Post-Ictal Phase

The recovery phase following a seizure during which the animal regains environmental awareness but appears dazed, unsteady, and exhausted.

Cerebral Anoxia

A lack of oxygen supply to brain tissue capable of causing brain damage and triggering secondary convulsions.

Electrocution

A traumatic event occurring when a high-voltage current passes through the body, which can induce instantaneous cardiac arrest if the path of conduction traverses the heart.