Question

The nurse is interviewing the caregivers of a child brought to the emergency unit. The caregiver states, "She has a history of seizures but this time it lasted more than 30 minutes and she just keeps having them." The most accurate description of this child's condition would be which of the following?

A) The child is in a postictal state.
B) The child is experiencing a simple partial seizure.
C) The child is in status epilepticus
D) The child is having absence seizures.

Answer 1

The most accurate description of a child's condition featuring seizures lasting more than 30 minutes and occurring consecutively without regaining consciousness is status epilepticus.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding Status Epilepticus

When a child exhibits a seizure that persists for more than 30 minutes or has consecutive seizures without recovering consciousness between them, the most accurate description of this condition is status epilepticus. This is a neurological emergency and requires immediate medical intervention to prevent long-term consequences or even life-threatening risks associated with prolonged or repeated seizures. Since the caregiver mentioned that the child "just keeps having them," it is clear that the child is not in a postictal state, which is the recovery phase following a seizure, nor are they experiencing a simple partial seizure, which typically affects a small part of the brain and does not cause a loss of consciousness. Moreover, absence seizures, which involve brief lapses of consciousness, do not last for such an extended duration.