A parent says to the nurse, "The doctor prescribed ethosuximide (Zarontin) for my child, who has absence seizures. What does this mean?" What is the best response by the nurse?

Question

1. "Absence seizures are basically the same kind of seizures as grand mal, but they are less frequent."
2. "Your daughter's seizures manifest as a staring into space for a few seconds. Ethosuximide (Zarontin) is a good medication for this type of seizure."
3. "Explaining the types of seizure activity is complicated. Have you spoken to your doctor about it?"
4. "Are you sure your doctor prescribed ethosuximide (Zarontin)? Phenobarbital (Luminal) is used much more frequently with children."

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 2
Rationale: Absence seizures, formerly known as petit mal, last a few seconds and are seen most often in children. Ethosuximide (Zarontin) is a drug of choice for this type of seizure disorder. Grand mal, or tonic-clonic, seizures are different from absence or petite mal seizures; they are different forms of epilepsy. Ethosuximide (Zarontin), not phenobarbital (Luminal), is the drug of choice for absence seizures. It is the responsibility of the RN to educate the patient, not just refer questions to the physician.