MANAGEMENT OF SEIZURES AND EPILEPSY

While the evaluation and treatment of patients with seizures or epilep sy is often challenging, modern therapy provides many patients with co mplete seizure control. After a first seizure, evaluation should focus on excluding an underlying neurologic or medical condition, assessing the relative risk of seizure recurrence and determining whether treat ment is indicated. Successful management of patients with recurrent se izures begins with the establishment of an accurate diagnosis of epile psy syndrome followed by treatment using an appropriate medication in a manner that optimizes efficacy. The goal of therapy is to completely control seizures without producing unacceptable medication side effec ts. Patients who do not achieve complete seizure control should be ref erred to an epilepsy specialist, since new medications and surgical tr eatments offer patients unprecedented options in seizure control.