Convulsive Disorderand Cardiac Disease

Running Rachael, Active Ashlee, Sassy Savannah

Convulsive Disorder

Seizure is over.

Pay attention to how long the seizure lasts.

Stay calm.

Make the person as comfortable as

possible.

Keep onlookers away.

Don’t hold the person down.

Don’t put anything in the person’s mouth.

Make sure their breathing is okay.

Don’t give water, pills or food by mouth

unless the person is fully alert.

Know when to call for emergency help.

Be sensitive and supportive, and ask others

to do the same.

The most important Do’s and Don’ts...

Seizure First Aid

Seizure vs. EpilepsyNot all people who have seizures have epilepsy….

Seizures

...a brief, temporary disturbance in the electrical activity of the

brain.

Epilepsy

...a chronic disorder withrecurrent, unprovoked Seizures. People with

epilepsy have different types of seizures.

● Symptoms depend on what

neurons are affected

● Outward Signs

○ Jerking

○ Moving

○ Losing consciousness

● Only experienced by patient

○ Fears

○ Strange smells

If seizure lasts > 5 minutes

Ongoing or without returning to normal

Usually Tonic-Clonic

Medical Emergency!

Often treated with Benzodiazepines

Enhance GABA (inhibitory

transmitter)

Status Epilepticus

Symptoms to Follow Seizure

Postictal Confusion

After seizure confusion

Post: after

Ictal: Seizure

Todd’s Paralysis

In arms or legs

Lasts average ~ 15 hours

Subsides completely ~ 2 days

Not completely understood-

Diagnosis

Look for abnormalities in the brain (e.g. tumors)

Brain Imaging

MRI

CT

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Detect electrical signals in the brain

Check thoroughly Clinical History

Other tests may include:

TreatmentMedication

Surgery

Implanted Devices

Regulatory Diet

What can we(TRSs) do to help?

* We can meet the unseen needs! *

We can help them manage:

Fear Withdrawal from society

DepressionLearned helplessness

Resources

Cardiac Disease

Cardiac Disease

Cardiac Disease, or heart disease, includes many different

medical conditions which affect the heart’s ability to

work effectively.

In an average lifetime, the heart beats more than 2 1/2 billion times, without ever pausing to

rest. Like a pumping machine, the heart provides the power needed for life.

Can a lot of things go wrong? YES!

How does the heart

work?

Common Types

Coronary Artery Disease Coronary artery disease is America's No.1

killer, affecting more than 13 million Americans. Damage or

disease in the heart’s major blood vessels.

Enlarged Heart (Cardiomegaly) An enlarged heart (cardiomegaly)

can have various causes. But it's usually caused by high blood

pressure (hypertension) or coronary artery disease.

Heart Attack A blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle.

Irregular Heart Rhythm An irregular, often rapid heart rate that

causes poor blood flow.

Atrial Fibrillation It's the most common kind of irregular

heartbeat.

Heart Rhythm Disorders Irregular heart rhythms can cause the

pumping function of the heart to fail. Typically involves

abnormalities in heart rate, beats, sites where electrical impulses

originate, or sequence of activation of heartbeats.

Heart Valve Disease All four valves can be hardened, restricting

blood flow (stenotic) or the valve may not close tightly which

creates a “leaky valve”

Sudden Cardiac Death This is the cause of half of

all heart disease deaths. It is a sudden, unexpected

loss of heart function, breathing, and

consciousness.

Congenital Heart Disease An abnormality in the

heart that develops before birth.

Heart Muscle Disease (Cardiomyopathy) An

acquired or hereditary disease of the heart muscle.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy The heart’s ability to

pump blood is decreased because the left ventricle

(the heart’s main pumping chamber) is enlarged

and weakened.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy HCM. The heart’s

muscle becomes abnormally thick.

Restrictive Cardiomyopathy The rarest form of

heart-muscle disease. The contractile function

(squeeze) of the heart and wall thickness are

usually normal, but the relaxation or filling phase

of the heart is very abnormal.

Heart Rhythm Disorders Irregular heart

rhythms can cause the pumping function of

the heart to fail. Typically involves

abnormalities in heart rate, beats, sites where

electrical impulses originate, or sequence of

activation of heartbeats.

Heart Valve Disease All four valves can be

hardened, restricting blood flow (stenotic) or

the valve may not close tightly which creates a

“leaky valve”

Pericarditis A swelling and irritation of the thin

sac-like membrane surrounding the heart

(pericardium).

Pericardial Effusion Fluid around the heart can

be caused by various types of

infection/inflammation or cancer, kidney

disease or heart surgery. This fluid can impair

heart function.

Marfan Syndrome This inherited genetic defect

weakens connective tissues -- including those

in the heart.

Heart Murmurs Most heart murmurs are

innocent: They are caused by blood flowing

through healthy valves in a healthy heart and

do not require treatment. However, heart

murmurs can be caused by blood flowing

through a damaged or overworked heart valve.

Symptoms

● Chest pain or discomfort

● Shortness of breath

● Fatigue

● Fainting

● Pain/numbness/weakness/

coldness in your legs or arms

● Lightheadedness

● Dizziness

● Irregular heartbeat

● Swollen feet or ankles

● Pain in the neck, jaw,

throat, upper abdomen or

back

● Fluttering in your chest

● Racing heartbeat

(tachycardia)

● Slow heartbeat

(bradycardia)

● Dry or persistent cough

● Sweating

● Skin rashes or unusual

spots

● Nausea of vomiting

● Fever

Diagnosis

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

Holter Monitoring

Echocardiogram

Cardiac Catheterization

Cardiac Computerized

Tomography Scan (CT)

Cardiac Magnetic Response

Imaging (MRI)

Treatment

Surgery

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

Pacemakers

Mechanical and Tissue Heart Valves

Medication

Relieve heart's workload, control blood

clotting, regulate blood pressure, relieve

heart failure symptoms and ease chest

pain

So how can we help? Know about your client!

What is their heart condition?

What medications are they on?

What is risk factors are in their natural environment?

Leisure education will be an important part of the CTRS’s work to help them

reduce risk factors.

ResourcesPublic Awareness Organizations