What To Do in the Event of a Seizure
•At the first sign of what appears to be a seizure, lay witnesses should summon trained medical personnel.
•Depending on the setting, this may mean calling 911 or calling the nurse or physician who is on duty for the clinic or hospital unit.
•While awaiting medical help, a layperson witnessing an alcohol withdrawal seizure should gently attempt to prevent injury to the person as he or she slumps or falls to the floor by protecting the individual’s head and body from hard or sharp objects. Often, though, the initial loss of consciousness and fall is not seen by anyone.
•In the jerking phase of the seizure, if the jerking is extreme, it is important to protect the head from extreme head-banging by placing a soft object under the head and neck. Sometimes placing one’s hand or shoe under the head is adequate.
•No attempt should be made to insert anything in the mouth (such as spoons, pencils, pens, tongue blades). Such attempts at object insertion may cause damage to the teeth and tongue, or objects may get partially swallowed and obstruct the airway.
•Patients who start to retch or vomit should be gently placed on their side so that the vomitus (stomach contents vomited) may exit the mouth and not be taken into the lungs. Vomitus taken into the lungs is a severe medical condition leading to immediate difficulty breathing and, within hours, severe pneumonia.
•Even if the individual appears to become fully awake, alert, and oriented without any harm following a seizure, it is strongly recommended that he be referred for medical evaluation.
-Individuals who awaken confused and disoriented should be given brief reassuring and soothing messages to reorient them as to what happened and where they are