Medical Health Encyclopedia

Injury Disease Nutrition Poison Symptoms Surgery Test Special Topic
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Central nervous system
Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention
Petit mal seizure
Alternative Names: Seizure - petit mal; Absence seizure; Seizure - absence Treatment: As seizures can interfere with learning or result in injury, the goal of treatment is to prevent or minimize the number of seizures and to minimize any side effects of the treatments. In some cases, treatment of identifiable causes may reduce or eliminate seizures. Text Continues Below Anticonvulsant (antiseizure) medications may prevent or minimize the number of seizures. Petit mal seizures usually respond to valproic acid, ethosuximide, clonazepam, and certain other drugs. Response to medications varies and the medication and dosage may have to be adjusted repeatedly. For some drugs, monitoring of plasma drug levels is important for continued control of seizures and reduction of medication side effects. Absence status epilepticus (multiple, frequently-repeated seizures) may be treated with intravenous medications and other treatments. Support Groups: A resource you may find helpful is the American Epilepsy Society. Expectations (prognosis): Almost all children with petit mal seizures have significantly fewer (or no) seizures with the use of medications. Petit mal seizures may stop spontaneously after the child reaches adulthood, they may continue indefinitely, or the person may progress to a grand mal seizure. Long-term prognosis depends on whether there are any underlying neurological problems or other seizure types in addition to the petit mal seizures. Page:  1 | 2 | Next >>