How to Help a Person Having a Seizure
by joanwong in Living > Health
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How to Help a Person Having a Seizure
When I started to work as a CNA, I was overwhelmed. It’s one thing to read about seizures, strokes, cardiac arrests, and other types of medical emergencies, and another to actually see these things in real life. To tell the truth, I panicked the first time I saw a patient seizing before me, and I just couldn’t get my feet to move.
However, panic leaves as soon as it comes to these situations because the understanding that there is no one but you to help the patient kicks in. Thus, you start going through the steps that have been drilled into you during your training. This is when you understand that all the words you’ve learned are far too complicated to help you act quickly and efficiently. At least, this is what happened to me. Thus, after this first seizure, I decided to further my studies and I managed to work out a simple step-by-step guide for providing first aid to a seizing patient. I’d like to share it with you now, and hopefully, it will help you get through this ordeal should you ever find yourself in such a situation. You can visit website of any medical institution to make sure that all the steps listed below aren’t going to endanger the patient’s health in any way.
Although seizures aren’t particularly dangerous, except for a few cases that you can read about if you visit website of the Epilepsy Foundation, they look positively horrifying. Thus, the first reaction any normal person has to seeing a seizure is panic. It’s completely normal, but being a health care professional, you cannot allow emotions to overwhelm you.
However, panic leaves as soon as it comes to these situations because the understanding that there is no one but you to help the patient kicks in. Thus, you start going through the steps that have been drilled into you during your training. This is when you understand that all the words you’ve learned are far too complicated to help you act quickly and efficiently. At least, this is what happened to me. Thus, after this first seizure, I decided to further my studies and I managed to work out a simple step-by-step guide for providing first aid to a seizing patient. I’d like to share it with you now, and hopefully, it will help you get through this ordeal should you ever find yourself in such a situation. You can visit website of any medical institution to make sure that all the steps listed below aren’t going to endanger the patient’s health in any way.
Although seizures aren’t particularly dangerous, except for a few cases that you can read about if you visit website of the Epilepsy Foundation, they look positively horrifying. Thus, the first reaction any normal person has to seeing a seizure is panic. It’s completely normal, but being a health care professional, you cannot allow emotions to overwhelm you.
Collect Yourself and Note the Time
The first thing you must do is to calm down and collect yourself. This will help the patient to calm down as well, although it won’t stop the seizure.
Once you are calm, you can proceed to take the necessary steps to ensure the patient’s safety. In case there are other people around, send one of them to get help. This is especially important if the patient has a health condition that makes seizures more dangerous, for example, diabetes. If no one is around, wait until the seizure is over and make sure that the patient is secure before calling a doctor or a supervising nurse.
It’s essential to check your watch, or otherwise make a note of the time, when the seizure starts. Its duration has to be noted and documented in the patient’s history as this may be an indication of their condition deteriorating. This information as well as your estimate of the strength of the convulsions is essential for adjusting the patient’s treatment.
In case you are assisting a person seizing not in a medical setting of some kind (hospital, nursing home, etc.), and the seizure lasts for more than five minutes, it’s imperative to call 911 once it’s over.
Once you are calm, you can proceed to take the necessary steps to ensure the patient’s safety. In case there are other people around, send one of them to get help. This is especially important if the patient has a health condition that makes seizures more dangerous, for example, diabetes. If no one is around, wait until the seizure is over and make sure that the patient is secure before calling a doctor or a supervising nurse.
It’s essential to check your watch, or otherwise make a note of the time, when the seizure starts. Its duration has to be noted and documented in the patient’s history as this may be an indication of their condition deteriorating. This information as well as your estimate of the strength of the convulsions is essential for adjusting the patient’s treatment.
In case you are assisting a person seizing not in a medical setting of some kind (hospital, nursing home, etc.), and the seizure lasts for more than five minutes, it’s imperative to call 911 once it’s over.
Ensure Patient’s Safety
Remove any sharp or hard objects from the seizing patient’s immediate vicinity. As the person cannot be moved in this condition, this is the only way to reduce the risk of injury. Do not attempt to hold the patient down and watch out for flailing limbs. Loosen the person’s collar and tie so they won’t restrict the patient’s breathing.
Do not, under any circumstances, try to insert anything in the seizing patient’s mouth. Seizures do not cause any problems with breathing. Thus, this will only endanger both you and the patient.
Do not, under any circumstances, try to insert anything in the seizing patient’s mouth. Seizures do not cause any problems with breathing. Thus, this will only endanger both you and the patient.
Wait Until the Seizure Is Over
You must stay with the patient throughout the seizure and take note of everything that happens during this time. Once the attack is over, turn the person onto his or her side and check for breathing.
Do not give the patient anything to eat or drink after the seizure.
In case the seizing person is suffering from high fever, regardless of whether the attack is caused by a fever itself or any other problem, you must remove the sweat from the patient’s body with a wet sponge.
Do not submerge the person in a bath under any circumstances.
Do not give the patient anything to eat or drink after the seizure.
In case the seizing person is suffering from high fever, regardless of whether the attack is caused by a fever itself or any other problem, you must remove the sweat from the patient’s body with a wet sponge.
Do not submerge the person in a bath under any circumstances.