Final answer:
The nurse should anticipate that the client with petit mal seizures has been prescribed ethosuximide (Zarontin), which specifically targets and controls the abnormal electrical activity responsible for these seizures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse should anticipate that the client with petit mal seizures has been prescribed ethosuximide (Zarontin).
Petit mal seizures, also known as absence seizures, are a type of generalized seizure characterized by brief and sudden lapses of consciousness. Ethosuximide is the medication of choice for treating petit mal seizures as it specifically targets and controls the abnormal electrical activity responsible for these seizures.
Phenytoin (Dilantin) is commonly used to treat other types of seizures such as tonic-clonic seizures, but it is not the first-line treatment for petit mal seizures. Diazepam (Valium) is a benzodiazepine used for anxiety and sedation, but it is not the appropriate medication for managing petit mal seizures. Carbamazepine (Tegretol) is typically used to treat partial seizures and tonic-clonic seizures, not petit mal seizures.