What to Do if a Student Has a Seizure

Marcus SimmonsItawamba Community College

Information provided by:

The National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke & Epilepsy Ontario

Seizures Contents• Types and Description of

Seizures– Video content of Seizure Examples

• What to do if you see someone having a seizure with convulsions and/or loss of consciousness

• When to call 911• After the Seizure• Seizures without convulsions or

loss of consciousness

Types of Seizures• There are 2 main types of

Seizures– Primary Generalized Seizures

• Generally associated more with heredity issues

• Begins with electrical discharge in a widespread manner affecting both sides of the brain

– Partial Seizures• Generally associated with head

trauma, brain infection, strokes, and or tumors

• The is an electrical discharge limited to one area of the brain

Primary Generalized Seizures• Some of the different kinds of

seizures under this category are:– Absence Seizures (Same as

petit mal)– Atypical Seizures– Myoclonic Seizures– Atonic Seizures– Tonic Seizures– Clonic Seizures– Tonic-Clonic Seizures (Same as

Grand Mal)

Absence Seizures

Tonic Clonic Seizures

Partial Seizures

• Some of the different kinds of seizures under this category are:– Simple Partial Seizures– Complex Partial Seizures– Secondary Generalized

Seizures

Simple Partial Seizure & Nocturnal Seizures

Complex Partial Seizures

If you see someone having a seizure with convulsions and/or loss of consciousness. • Roll the person on his or her side

to prevent choking on any fluids or vomit

• Cushion the person’s head• Loosen any tight clothing around

the neck• Make sure the person’s airway is

open (Only if not breathing tilt the person’s head back some and hold the jaw open)

• Do not restrict the person from moving unless they are in danger

Continued…• Do not put anything into the

person’s mouth; not even fluids or medicine – this can cause choking and damage to the tongue, teeth, or jaw.

• Please Note: Contrary to popular believe People cannot swallow their tongues.

• Remove sharp or hard objects away from the person during the seizure

• Please Note: Note how long the seizure occurred and the symptoms exhibit so that you might tell medical personnel later

• Always stay with the person until the seizure has ended

When to Call 911• Always best to call and alert Campus

police• Specific situations in which you should

definitely call:– The person is pregnant or has

diabetes– The seizure happened in water– The seizure lasted for more than 5

minutes– The person did not start breathing

or having trouble breathing– Another seizure starts before the

person has regained consciousness– The person injures themselves

during the seizure– If you think this is the person’s first

seizure or if you are not sure

After a Seizure – What to expect and what to do• What to expect:

– The person may be groggy and tired

– They may be confused, embarrassed or disoriented

– They may have and complain of a headache

• What to do:– Be patient with the person– Assure them everything is alright– Try to make them comfortable– Try to question the person about

any areas that might hurt them; to get an idea if there has been an injury during the seizure

What to do for a Non-Convulsive Seizure• Recognizing the non-convulsive seizure

– This might be hard because non-convulsive seizure can appear in many different ways. The person may walk aimlessly, make odd gestures, mumble, or perform other odd and uncustomary acts

• What to do:– Remember the person has no control

over their actions at this point– Remove any dangerous objects from the

person’s path– Do not try to stop the person from

walking, unless they are in danger. – Do not shake the person or shout– Stay with the person until they are

completely alert and over the seizure

To Learn More About Seizure Disorders you may look at the following sites:

• This site gives a very good overall view of Seizure definitions, descriptions, and treatments.

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec06/ch085/ch085a.html

All video InformationProvided through:

Suite 3081 Promenade CircleThornhill, OntarioCanadaL4J 4P8

info@epilepsyontario.org