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skze

Since this is unfortunately not common knowledge yet, let’s spread some information. Here is the guide for what to do when someone is having a tonic-clonic seizure, as described by Epilepsy Action:

• Protect them from injury (remove harmful objects from nearby)
• Cushion their head
• Look for an epilepsy identity card or identity jewellery – it may give you information about their seizures and what to do
• Time how long the seizure lasts
• Once the jerking has stopped, help their breathing by gently placing them in the recovery position (see below)
• Stay with them until they are fully recovered
• Be calm and reassuring

Call for an ambulance if any of these things apply:

• You know it is their first seizure
• The seizure lasts for more than five minutes
• They have one tonic-clonic seizure after another without regaining consciousness between seizures
• They are seriously injured during the seizure
• They have trouble breathing after the seizure has stopped

12 May at 4:08 | Open on toot.cat
8 comments | Expand all CWs
skze

Here’s a pretty little picture that you can save for bad times or send to all your friends
12 May at 4:17 | Open on toot.cat
Lea Rosema

@skye additional things to take care of:

- use something like a jacket as a pillow to support the head
- protect the person from curious gazers.
- be aware about SUDEP (see sudep.de, german, autotranslation is fine), sudden death in epilepsy
- know first aid and reanimation measures
- there's often a sleepy phase after the seizure. It can take a while until the person returns conscious again. SUDEP risk is high during that time.

12 May at 9:14 | Open on lea.lgbt
stephie :betterpride_flag:

@lea @skye
Thank you!
It's really important to be informed about this. Too few know how much people with epilepsy are out there. Sudep is very unknown to most people.

12 May at 10:18 | Open on norden.social
mybarkingdogs

@skye Will also add this depressing point: if you are in the US and have to call 911 (don't, unless they are unconscious or injured to a degree they need immediate life support) *emphasize* that they are unconscious and/or immobile, and that it is a medical emergency.

If you just call 911, are "someone's flailing all around" there's a good (bad) chance the first responder will be an armed (and barely medically trained if medically trained at all) cop

12 May at 4:20 | Open on freeradical.zone
skze

@mybarkingdogs oh god 😭​

12 May at 4:20 | Open on toot.cat
Tully

@skye @mybarkingdogs yeah, it's awful here

12 May at 4:57 | Open on weirder.earth
Kevin Karhan

@skye precisely...

Also:

-

Do not try to put things in their mouth whatsoever!


-

Communicate with them, even if they seem unconcious and/or not reacting to you. Update them on the situation by calmly talking to them.


-

Check their vitals. If unconcious but breathing, rotate them sideways. Make shure mouth and nose are not interrupted and that if they were to vomit (very unlikely!), it can flow out unhindered.


-

offer some still, non-carbonated water if they regain conciousness. Only offer something eat if they can sit upright and explicitly demand it themselves (a seizure burns a lot of calories, some may get hypoglykemia due to that so it's advised to communicate anything affecting blood sugar first!)


-

To deal with spectators, assign them tasks (i.e. on to call ambulance and/or direct EMS personnel to the site, stand around back towards the person having a seizure to deter spectrators and tell people wanting to film and gawk to fuck off.


-

Only restrict someone's movement if they'd hurt themselves otherwise (i.e. head banging against sth.) and only passively by cushioing them.


-

Brief EMS / Paramedics on the situation when they arrive so they can quickly take over. This should also be done so that the person in question - even unconcious - is potentially able to withness the situation and thus may be less frightened in the situation knowing they're being taken care of.

Yours faithfully,
a fmr. Firefighter

@skye precisely...

Also:

-

Do not try to put things in their mouth whatsoever!


-

Communicate with them, even if they seem unconcious and/or not reacting to you. Update them on the situation by calmly talking to them.


12 May at 7:23 | Open on infosec.space
F4GRX Sébastien

@skye thank you, this is important info.

12 May at 8:28 | Open on chaos.social
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