How to give first aid in epilepsy

  Many people will panic at the sight of the patient’s illness and do not know how to deal with it. The following are some considerations: 1. Stay calm and don’t be afraid, although it is not easy to actually do it. 2.  The majority of seizures will stop on their own after 1 to 2 minutes, and bystanders are unable to take measures to end the seizure. What you can do is to wait for the seizure to end with the patient’s safety in mind. Do not try to press the patient’s body while the patient is convulsing, as this may lead to joint dislocation, fracture or injury to yourself.  3. Prevent the patient from being injured. For example, move the patient away from the side of the sink, high places, stairs, unfasten especially over-tightened clothespins and necklaces around the neck, help remove glasses, and remove sharp objects near the patient. Help the patient to lie down, put soft objects under the patient’s body, especially under the head and neck, etc. If the patient has a seizure while standing, help and guide the patient to prevent the patient from suddenly falling to the ground or going to a dangerous location, etc.  4. Do not put any object into the patient’s mouth, do not try to feed water, medicine or other food; especially do not put your fingers into the patient’s mouth. Turn the patient to the side so that secretions in the mouth can flow out along the corners of the mouth, which can avoid accidental aspiration into the trachea; this position can also prevent the tongue from falling backward and blocking the airway. There is no need to worry that the tongue will be swallowed, but instead what is sticking into the mouth can easily cause the patient to choke or bite the fingers of others.  5. Complex partial seizures, meaning partial seizures with impaired consciousness, vary in severity. Many patients are accompanied by movements or behaviors that seem to have a purpose, which we call automatism. For example, repeatedly performing a certain action with the hands, spinning in place, walking or running are specific manifestations of automatism. In complex partial seizures, it is unlikely that the patient will suffer physical trauma, and 1-2 brief episodes will not damage the brain; repeated or sustained episodes may cause mild memory loss, and severe brain damage is rare. Therefore, it is sufficient for the witness to take a quiet approach and watch for changes. The patient’s name may be called gently. Do not restrict the patient’s movements or actions. Unless it is necessary, for example, to watch the patient repeatedly rubbing the corners of his or her clothes with his or her hands during a seizure, it is not necessary to go up to the patient and hold his or her hands down. However, if the patient wants to touch an open flame or a hot water kettle with his or her hands, he or she should be stopped in an appropriate manner. Some patients may get up and walk or even run during or after a seizure, so care should be taken, especially in potentially dangerous situations, such as stairways, high places, busy streets, railroad stations and other places.  6, the water sickness has a greater risk, if not handled properly, it is easy to cause serious consequences. When someone is found in the water sickness, should pay attention to: hold the patient’s head, to ensure that his head and face has been above the water; as soon as possible to transfer the patient out of the water; moved to a safe place, immediately determine whether the patient has breathing and heartbeat. If not, immediately implement CPR and call an emergency vehicle. Even if the patient seems to be in good condition, it is recommended to go to the hospital for a thorough examination.  7. If the seizure persists (>5 minutes), or if the patient has recurrent seizures (≥2) and is not clear-headed without convulsions, call an emergency vehicle so that medication can be applied as soon as possible to terminate the seizure.  8. After the seizure is over, the patient may be agitated. As long as his or her actions are not dangerous, do not restrict the patient’s movements or behavior. Many patients are not immediately clear-headed and may instinctively injure the person who restrained their movement. Due to the presence of many secretions in the mouth or the possibility of vomiting, it is necessary to remain in the lateral position to prevent choking or accidental aspiration. If the patient remains unconscious after the seizure has stopped (those who do not regain consciousness within 15 minutes), an ambulance should be called.  9. Questions like the following can be used to help determine recovery after a seizure: “What is your name?” “What is this place?” “What time is it?” “What day of the week is it?” “What just happened?” And so on.  10. Witnesses should tell the patient truthfully and thoroughly what happened afterwards. Some patients lose consciousness during a seizure and cannot recall what just happened afterwards; others only have seizures during sleep and may not remember the specific manifestations of the seizure. The bystander needs to give a truthful account, such as what kind of seizure? How long did it last? What was the patient’s behavior before and after the convulsion? etc. This has many advantages: when the patient is alone, it provides very useful information to the doctor, which is important for diagnosis, seizure typing, and medication selection; it can guide the patient to make some lifestyle adjustments; by telling the truth, the patient and the surrounding witnesses will not be suspicious during the next seizure, which can reduce anxiety and fear; life can become more planned and can You can plan your life and prepare the necessary protective measures in advance.  Although a grand mal seizure may seem painful, it is not actually perceptible to the patient. Only after the attack, as consciousness gradually returns to normal, may the patient know that he or she has just had a seizure. Some patients do not even know they have had a seizure if a witness does not tell them.  After a grand mal seizure, the patient often feels very tired all over, with significant sleepiness, and needs to sleep for several hours. Patients may also notice bites on the tongue or corners of the mouth, muscle aches, headaches, or trauma, and may consider treating the symptoms with some pain medication. However, if the pain is significant, medical attention should be sought to rule out a dislocated joint or fracture. Some patients will have a short-lived fever after an attack, usually as a result of violent muscle twitching. If the temperature is too high (greater than 38.8 degrees Celsius) and lasts too long (greater than 6 hours), it is advisable to consult a doctor.