Question
When a 5-year-old child suddenly faints and has seizure symptoms for the first time, how should parents respond? The child started experiencing this condition yesterday, with the seizures lasting for 2 minutes and a small amount of foam in the mouth. Has the child received any previous treatment and what was the outcome? If assistance is needed, parents hope to understand what illness the child is suffering from.
Answer
The commonly used medications for treating epilepsy include traditional antiepileptic drugs such as carbamazepine, sodium valproate, as well as new antiepileptic drugs like lamotrigine, topiramate, and oxcarbazepine. These new antiepileptic drugs offer better safety and fewer side effects compared to older medications like phenytoin and phenobarbital, making them an ideal choice for epilepsy patients. It is recommended to start epilepsy treatment with a single medication at a low dose. If a single medication is ineffective, consider adding or switching to another antiepileptic drug. If it is confirmed that a particular medication is ineffective or has excessive side effects, a change should be made gradually.