Generalized tonic-clonic seizure

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Central nervous system

Seizure - tonic-clonic; Seizure - grand mal; Grand mal seizure; Seizure - generalized

EMERGENCY FIRST-AID TREATMENT

• Protect the person from injury. Clear the area of furniture or other objects that may cause injury from falls during the seizure.
• Do not attempt to force a hard object (such as a spoon or a tongue depressor, etc.) between the teeth. You can cause more damage than you can prevent.
• Do not attempt to hold the person down during the seizure.
• Turn the person to the side if vomiting occurs. Keep the person on his or her side while sleeping after the seizure is over.
• If the person having a seizure turns blue or stops breathing, try to position the head to prevent the tongue from blocking the airway. Breathing usually starts on its own once the seizure is over.
• CPR or mouth-to-mouth breathing is rarely needed after seizures and cannot be performed during the seizure.

If a person has repeated or prolonged seizures without regaining consciousness or returning to normal behavior, the body may develop a severe lack of oxygen. This an emergency situation - seek immediately medical help.

EMERGENCY TREATMENT BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL

• Measures to protect the airway may be needed, including use of tubes to keep the airway open. Breathing should be supported as needed.
• Thiamine or intravenous glucose may be given.
• Medications such as diazepam (Valium) or lorazepam, or anticonvulsant medications such as phenytoin or phenobarbital may control prolonged, repeated generalized seizures. They are usually injected into a vein.
• General anesthesia with muscle-paralyzing medications may be needed.
• After status epilepticus is controlled, the patient will be given anticonvulsants. Tests will be done to determine the cause of the condition, if it is not already known.

AFTER THE SEIZURE

Treat any injuries from bumps or falls. Record details of the seizure to report to the health care provider. Important details include:

• Date and time of the seizure
• How long it lasted
• What body parts were affected
• Type of movements or other symptoms
• Possible causes
• Behavior after the seizure