Free BCEN Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Practice Question

Respiratory depression or compromise is a serious and potential complication following a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. During the postictal state, the patient's respiratory function should be closely monitored as they might experience hypoventilation or airway obstruction due to altered levels of consciousness or the presence of oral secretions, which can lead to hypoxia and/or aspiration. Status epilepticus is a prolonged seizure occurring for more than five minutes or two or more seizures within a five-minute period without the individual returning to a normal level of consciousness. While this is a severe complication, it would not be the immediate postictal concern. Bradycardia and hypoglycemia can be seen in association with seizures, but they are less common than respiratory issues and not as immediately life-threatening postictally as respiratory depression.