Officials outline procedure during seizure
Editor's note: This is the last story in a three-part weekly series about emergency situations students may face. This story explains how to help a person who is having a seizure.

By KELLY BRADISH
Collegian Staff Writer

Although witnessing a seizure can be frightening to a person who has never dealt with one before, knowing what to do in such a situation could prevent serious injury.

Scott Rawson, executive director and paramedic at Alpha Community Ambulance Service, said preventing injury during a seizure is important. The person should be kept away from potentially dangerous objects in the area, he said. If an ambulance is called, bystanders should inform the paramedics what prescriptions the person takes and whether he took the medication that day, Rawson added.

Rawson said paramedics and the victim can decide if the person needs to go to the hospital.

"I'd much rather be dispatched and not needed than needed and not dispatched," Rawson said.

Jillian Ma (senior-journalism) said she has a nocturnal seizure disorder that causes seizures after sleeping. Although she has not had a seizure in a few years and has never had one in public, she has told her roommates what to do if she had a seizure.

Ma told her roommates to turn her on her side and make sure she is in a safe place and on a flat surface. She said she also instructed roommates not to put anything in her mouth in an effort to prevent her from swallowing her tongue, since it would be impossible for her to do so.

Those with epilepsy should tell their roommates what to do in case of a seizure, said Cliff Neal, medical director at Alpha Community Ambulance Service. Although those who live with people with a history of seizures may wait to see if the person will be OK without medical treatment, he said an ambulance should be called if there is any uncertainty about the situation.

Neal added the service receives about two seizure-related calls each week.

"(Seizures are) not something we see every day, but it's not an uncommon occurrence," Neal said. "I'd say the majority of the people that we see are probably younger, under 30 years old."

Peter Van Haverbeke, director of public relations at the Epilepsy Foundation, said there are several types of seizures, including convulsive and partial seizures.

Depending on the medical history, a person having a seizure may not need emergency medical attention, he said. However, if the person is pregnant, hurt or may not have had a seizure before, an ambulance should be called, he said.

"It's a hard call and it's not an easy decision to make. Of course, the safest decision is to call 911," Van Haverbeke said, adding seizures lasting more than five minutes usually require emergency medical attention.

Although one out of every 10 people will have a seizure during their lifetime, seizures can still be dramatic and scary, Van Haverbeke said. He added bystanders can make the situation less uncomfortable for the person having the seizure by giving the person room and not staring at them.

• Feb. 23: Experts offer advice on alcohol poisoning