Identifying when an emergency may develop starts with knowing what your typical seizures look like and how long they last. Some situations, (for example, a generalized tonic clonic seizure that lasted over 5 minutes or repeated seizures without coming to between seizures) would be an emergency for everyone. However, when clusters of seizures or periods of increased seizures occur, what is considered an emergency will depend on the type and usual number of seizures. If seizures occur that are different from your usual events or you have periods of increased seizures, it’s critical that you know what to do and when to get additional help.

Emergencies may also develop after a seizure, for example if head injuries, broken bones, choking or breathing problems develop. If a seizure occurs in water, it’s important to obtain immediate help and have the person medically checked out. Additionally, people who have other medical problems or are pregnant can develop other medical complications from a seizure.

People may be at risk for a seizure emergency when:

• Seizures last longer than typically.
• Seizures occur in clusters with many seizures over a short period of time.
• Seizures do not stop or keep occurring with little or no rest between events.
• Injury occurs or is suspected.
• A seizure occurs in water.
• A person appears to be choking or having difficulty breathing.
• A person is pregnant or has other medical problems that needs to be evaluated or treated.
• A person doesn’t recover well after a seizure or gets sick hours or a few days after a seizure.

Continue to Tracking and Treating Seizures

Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, MD and Patricia O. Shafer, RN, MN.
Last Reviewed:5/25/07