A neurological consult has been ordered for a pediatric client with suspected petit mal seizures. The client with petit mal seizures can be expected to have:
A. Short, abrupt muscle contraction
B. Quick, bilateral severe jerking movements
C. Abrupt loss of muscle tone
D. A brief lapse in consciousness
Correct Answer: D. A brief lapse in consciousness
Option D: Absence seizures, formerly known as petit mal seizures, are characterized by a brief lapse in consciousness accompanied by rapid eye blinking, lip-smacking, and minor myoclonus of the upper extremities.
Option A: This refers to myoclonic seizure.
Option B: This refers to tonic-clonic, formerly known as grand mal, seizures.
Option C: This refers to atonic seizures.