A nurse provides teaching for a patient with a newly diagnosed partial complex seizure disorder who is about to begin therapy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Which statement by the patient indicates understanding of the teaching?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Even with an accurate diagnosis of seizures, many patients have to try more than one AED to find a drug that is effective and well tolerated. Unless patients are being treated for absence seizures, which occur frequently, monitoring of the clinical outcome is not sufficient for determining effectiveness, because patients with convulsive seizures often have long seizure-free periods. Serious side effects may occur, but withdrawing a drug precipitously can induce seizures. Not all patients have seizure control with therapeutic drug levels, because not all medications work for all patients.

A Nurse Provides Teaching for a Patient with a Newly