What should you know about status seizure?

A typical seizure may stop on its own, followed by a period of drowsiness or confusion. Status seizure describes ongoing seizure activity or repeated seizures where normal awareness does not return between episodes. It can involve whole-body shaking, but some seizures mainly cause staring, reduced awareness, unusual movements, or inability to respond.

Possible triggers include missed anti-seizure medicine, low blood sugar, alcohol withdrawal, head injury, infection, or a condition affecting the brain. The cause cannot be safely identified from appearance alone; hospital clinicians may need blood tests, brain monitoring, and scans.

Call emergency services immediately if the seizure is prolonged, repeats without recovery, is the person’s first seizure, or causes breathing difficulty or injury. Move nearby hazards away, cushion the head, loosen tight clothing around the neck, and note when the activity began. When the movements stop, place the person on their side if they are breathing and stay with them.

Do not restrain the person, put anything in their mouth, give food or drink, or try to force open the jaw. If a prescribed rescue medicine is available, use it only according to the person’s written plan and emergency instructions.

Every suspected status seizure needs emergency assessment, even if the movements stop before help arrives. Tell responders about the duration, repeated episodes, breathing, injuries, known epilepsy, diabetes, recent illness, missed medicines, or possible alcohol withdrawal. If the person is not breathing normally after the seizure, follow the emergency dispatcher’s instructions and begin resuscitation steps if trained.

Ask what may have triggered the event, whether anti-seizure medicine needs review, how to use rescue medicine, and which symptoms require an ambulance. Ask for a written seizure first-aid plan that family, friends, and colleagues can follow.