First Aid For Seizures

Basic first aid measures for all seizures are:

DO keep calm.

DO protect the person from injury.

DO remain in attendance. Stay nearby until the person is fully alert.

DO NOT restrain movement. You cannot stop the seizure.

DO NOT force anything into the mouth.

DO NOT offer any food or drink until the person is fully awake.

Additional measures for the most common seizure types are:

Check the time, call 911 if seizure lasts more than 5 minutes.
Help the person lie down and put something soft under the head.
Remove glasses and loosen tight clothing.
Clear the area of hard or sharp objects.
Gently turn the person to one side to allow saliva to drain from the mouth.
If the person is known to have epilepsy or is wearing or carrying epilepsy medical identification, it is unlikely that further medical assistance would be needed. However, a convulsive seizure is usually not a medical emergency unless it lasts longer than five minutes, or a second seizure occurs soon after the first, or the person is pregnant, injured, diabetic, or not breathing easily. In these situations, call for medical help so that the person can be taken to an emergency medical facility.

COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURE

Do not try to stop or restrain the person unless absolutely necessary for his or her safety.

Be watchful with stairways, street traffic, hot stoves, knives and bathtubs.
Remove harmful objects from the person’s path and gently guide away from danger.

ABSENCE SEIZURE

Seizures are very subtle, may last no more than 5-15 seconds and may occur hundreds of times per day. Give personal explanations as to what the person may have missed.

Reprinted with permission from MINCEP^®Epilepsy Care, Minneapolis, Minnesota