First Aid: Seizures

Participants enrolled in standard first aid courses will learn to recognize and provide care for patients that are having or have had a seizure. Seizures are typically considered as a generalized uncoordinated muscular activity due to a massive discharge of electrical impulses from the brain. This page will outline the two different types of Grand Mal seizures and their causes of them. The material posted on this page is for information purposes only, to learn to recognize and provide care for patients that have had or are having seizures enroll in a first aid course through a credible provider. Credible workplace-approved providers are located throughout Canada in Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Surrey, Winnipeg, Regina, Ottawa, and Saskatoon.

Types of Seizure Patients:

Patients with seizures can be divided into two types. Seizures can occur once in a lifetime from a specific cause such as an electrical injury or blunt force trauma. When seizures become chronic the patient is referred to as being epileptic. Patients with epilepsy are aware of the condition and can be medicated to reduce the frequency and severity of the episodes. These patients also typically wear medical alert bracelets or cards for identification. It is important for rescuers to be aware that patients having a first-time seizure may not be elliptic.

Causes of Seizures:

A seizure can be caused by a combination, variety of, or one of the following:

  • Drug and Alcohol abuse or drug and alcohol withdrawal.
  • Patient not taking prescribed medication (not necessarily for epilepsy)
  • Hypoglycemic patients (patients with diabetes and low blood sugar).
  • Strokes.
  • Head or spinal injuries.
  • Infections of the brain such as meningitis.
  • High fever, (especially prevalent for infants).
  • Irregular cardiac rhythms or arrhythmia.
  • Low oxygen levels (hypoxia).
  • Brain Tumors.

Causes for seizures are beyond this list. The above post list the major causes of seizures. For more information and to learn to recognize and treat a patient with seizures take a standard first aid course through St Mark James.

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