So it is a warm and sunny afternoon and you are enjoying a minor league baseball game. Suddenly the man seated in front of you, dropped to the ground in a Grand Mal seizure (the full body is shaking). What would you do? Can you help him?
Here are few tips that you can use until EMS arrives. Make sure someone calls 911. First, understand that the whole body can sometimes shake violently. The patient has no control over his or her actions at this time. Protecting the head from injury is one of the most important steps you can take to help this individual. Place your hands behind the victims head and prevent it from hitting the ground or other object. Don’t try to restrainthe patient but gently let your hands go where the head goes. Your hands form a cushion.
Next, never attempt to place anything in the mouth. People can’t swallow their tongue and usually the mouth is clinched shut. Severe damage can be done to teeth and tissue when objects, that are meant to help, actually create harm. Also, keep in mind that if your fingers are placed in the victims mouth you could receive a severe injury from the victim clinching down.
Next, be prepared for the victim to vomit. If this occurs roll him or her on to
their side and allow the vomit to drain from the mouth. This helps prevent aspiration that could result in major complications.
Maintaining human dignity is always important. If at all possible protect the victim from the sight of bystanders. This is not always feasible due to the large crowds that form. Many people who experience seizures are embarrassed when they regain consciousness. So it’s always nice to try to protect their dignity.
Seizures usually don’t last very long. But it can be very frightening for those around the victim if they don’t know how to help. If you think of it, it is very helpful to EMS providers if you can tell them how long the seizure last.
Finally, when the seizure is over the victim may start to wake up or they may remain unconscious for a short time. As they wake up they may be confused and their memory may be somewhat foggy. This is normal and will pass, in most cases, within a few minutes.
Now EMS arrives and you can go back to watching the game, knowing you just helped make a bad situation much better.
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