Stay. Safe. Side. - What To Do When A Seizure Occurs?

Ten percent of all people will experience at least one seizure in their lifetime, according to the World Health Organization. That’s 1 in every 10 people you know will have a seizure. In the U.S., 3.4 million people live with epilepsy. This means we all need to be ready to act, as it is a matter of when, not if, we will witness a seizure. Will you know what to do?

Identifying a seizure

There are several different kinds of seizures:

• A tonic-clonic or Grand Mal is when the body alternates between rigidity and shaking for 1-3 minutes followed by a period of confusion.
• An absence seizure or Petit Mal; the person may only have a blank stare lasting a few seconds, occasionally with blinking or chewing motions. These can be difficult to catch.

Other Types of Seizures

The other category of seizures is focal onset seizures. The first type, historically called complex partial seizures, now known as focal onset impaired awareness seizures. The person may be staring with a dazed facial expression; they are not aware of what is going on or will not remember. You may see repetitive random movements and inability to talk normally. These typically last 1-2 minutes followed by confusion afterward. The other type is focal onset aware seizure, historically called simple partial seizures. This one can have jerking movements in one or more parts of the body, or the person may have sensory or perceptual changes that may not be obvious to onlookers. The person is aware of what is occurring.

The last two types of seizures are atonic or “drop attack” seizures and myoclonic seizures. In drop attacks, the individual will have a sudden collapse with recovery within a minute. In a myoclonic seizure, the individual will have a sudden, brief, and massive jerking involving all or part of the body.

What You Should Do

If you are a witness to someone having a seizure, here are some tips to keep the patient and others safe. At CorrHealth, we call them the three S’s;:

STAY. SAFE. SIDE.

First, stay with the patient and start timing the seizure. Remember, seizures are common and although they look frightening, they rarely cause significant pathology, so remain calm.

Next is keeping the patient safe. Move or guide the individual away from harmful objects, furniture, etc.

Third, turn the patient onto their side if they are not awake and aware. Put something small and soft under their head, loosen tight clothes around their neck. Do NOT block the airway and Never put anything in their mouth.

Finally, do not restrain the person. It is often important to keep hands on the individual to calm and help guide them from objects that could injure them. The key is to avoid excess restraining force as the person could be injured (dislocated shoulders, broken bones). It is reasonable in the correctional environment for security to stay close and even keep hands on the individual without restraining to ensure they do not become combative. Restraining leads to an increase in combativeness.

The last step in seizure management is knowing when to call 911.

1. For any first-time seizure, call 911.
2. If the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes OR if the individual has repeated seizures, call 911.
3. If they have had recent head trauma or a current illness, call 911.
4. If they are pregnant or have difficulty breathing after the seizure, call 911.
5. If the seizure occurs in water or they do not return to their usual state, call 911.

Our responsibility as correctional healthcare providers is to provide the highest standard of care possible. At CorrHealth, compassionate patient care is our #1 priority.

To find out more about us visit https://mycorrhealth.com/our-services

Dr. Nicholas Longnecker, MD CCHP CMO