What to do if someone is fitting?

[jennyjen02]

I just wondered, what are you actually meant to do if you are in the street and see someone having a fit? Recovery position, ABC...?

[sara3]

make sure they don't harm themselves (like bang their head) and that's it.

if they start choking (not very likely) they should be put in the recovery position. they may be very tired/embarrassed/disorientated after so it would be good to stay with them, and if they've not had a fit before it would be wise to call an ambulance. at least make sure they can get home safely.

don't try to put anything in their mouth.

[Ice.Maiden]

You can put them into the recovery position or on one side, and then call an ambulance if the person wants one and stay with them until someone arrives.
There are various types of fits, which don't usualy last very long, and the person having one either can't remember it afterwards, or just feels bewildered.

[Sqad]

Don't touch them, just call an ambulance.

[beso]

With epileptic fits there is nothing that can really be done except preventing them harming themselves. Recovery is good idea but they may be thrashing around anyway.

I have experienced this when a colleague had a fit. He was incredibly strong in this state. He remembered absolutely nothing of the fit but afterwards but commented he felt like he had done ten rounds with Mike Tyson. This is due to the muscle spasms that are also the source of the incredible strength.

[Sqad]

Little story for you.

Three of us were walking down the Whitechapel Road after passing the Finals of our Medical course, confirming we were doctors. In the crowded street, someone was having an epileptic attack. We walked straight by and down the road without uttering a word and after about five minutes of walking and total silence, we all admitted that we had forgotten how to treat an epileptic attack.....LOL

One of the 3 became an eminent Neurologist..LOL..................It wasn't me.

[jennyjen02]

HA!!

Thank you for all the answers. x

[momac]

And also,put something soft between their teeth,a lot of epileptics bite their tongue whist having a fit.

[saxy_jag]

Plenty of sound advice, much of which follows what I was taught and used when I worked in a day centre and a special school. Fits were a daily occurance - all types.

Do the ABC check, but be careful when putting your fingers near the mouth. You are at risk of having your fingers bitten off. A jaw in spasm is incredibly strong. Also, the advice I was given was never to put anything in the mouth. They're unlikely to die from biting their tongue, but they are at risk of choking on a foreign object - even quite a large one. Tongue biting is actually quite rare.

If they stop breathing, then yes, attempt CPR if you know how to do it.

Otherwise, you should make them safe by moving away anything they could hit their head or limbs on.

Once they've passed through the spasm stage, they should be 'floppy' enough to put into recovery position. Obviously if they begin to choke before then, you're going to have turn them over and deal with it.

As Sara says, when they come round, they're likely to be embarrassed and probably quite frightened and confused. What they usually want then is to sleep. Stay with them until help arrives. If they're on their own when it happens, you'd be wise to get an ambulance whatever. After all, you have no idea how soon the next fit is likely to occur or how long ago the last one was. Fits that repeat in close succession can lead to a condition known as stasis (sp?) whereby the patient just goes into one huge, enfless fit and it can kill them.

If you can remember, try to note the time and approximate duration of the fit. It's useful to medical and ambulance staff when assessing the nature and severity of the fit.