[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Patient safety](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/safety/) › Seizure precautions and care during a seizure # Seizure precautions and care during a seizure - Safe practice Prepare the bedside before a seizure; during it, time it, protect the head and never restrain or put anything in the mouth; afterwards, turn on the side. Updated Nov 12, 2026 ## Key points - Time the seizure from the start: more than 5 minutes is an emergency. - Protect the head with something soft, clear the area and loosen anything tight around the neck. - Never put anything in the mouth, and never hold the person down. - As soon as possible, turn the person on their side so saliva or vomit drains out. - Nothing by mouth until the person is fully awake and can swallow. ## What it is Seizure precautions prepare the environment for a patient at risk: a low bed, working suction and oxygen, and the padding the institutional protocol uses. During a convulsive seizure the nurse stays, calls for help, times the seizure and protects the person from injury; the movements are not stopped. Most seizures end on their own within a few minutes. A seizure that lasts more than 5 minutes, or repeated seizures without recovery in between, is an emergency. ## What it requires - A plan for patients with epilepsy, a previous seizure or a condition that raises the risk, as the order or protocol says. - Bed in the low position with wheels locked and the call bell within reach. - Suction and oxygen at the bedside, checked to be working; side-rail padding if the protocol uses it. - Knowing the patient's usual seizure pattern and the emergency plan. ## Components - Before: a prepared environment and equipment. - During: time, protect, stay, observe. - After: side position, airway, vital signs, neurological checks and rest. - Afterwards: an accurate record of the event. ## How it is applied (and why) - Prepare: low bed, locked wheels, rails and padding as the protocol says — fewer falls and injuries in a seizure. - Check that suction and oxygen at the bedside work — the airway may need clearing quickly. - During a seizure, stay, call for help and note the start time — duration decides when it is an emergency. - Ease the person down or lay the bed flat, clear objects, cushion the head and remove glasses — prevents injury. - Loosen anything around the neck; do not hold the person down or put anything in the mouth — avoids injury and choking. - As soon as possible, turn the person on their side and suction the mouth if needed — keeps the airway clear. - Observe and record: duration, movements, eyes, breathing, colour and incontinence — helps diagnosis and treatment. - After: check breathing, vital signs, saturation, injuries and consciousness; stay until recovery — confusion is common. - Give nothing by mouth until fully alert, then record and report — avoids choking and keeps the team informed. ## In nursing practice - Call emergency help if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes. - Call if another seizure follows soon after, or the person does not recover between seizures. - Call if the person has trouble breathing or does not wake up afterwards. - Call if there is an injury, if it is a first seizure, if the patient is pregnant or has diabetes, or if the seizure differs from their usual ones. ## Common mistakes - Putting a tongue blade, fingers or any object in the mouth. - Holding the person down or trying to stop the movements. - Not timing the seizure. - Leaving the patient alone to fetch equipment instead of calling for help. - Giving water or food before the person is fully alert. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Why is nothing put in the mouth during a seizure? Because it can break teeth, injure the mouth or block the airway. The person cannot swallow their tongue. ## When does a seizure become an emergency? When it lasts more than 5 minutes, when seizures repeat without recovery, or when the person has trouble breathing or does not wake up. ## Why is the person turned on their side after a seizure? So saliva or vomit drains out of the mouth and does not enter the lungs. ## What should be recorded after a seizure? Start time and duration, type of movements, eye signs, breathing, colour, incontinence, injuries and the recovery afterwards. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/seizure-precautions-and-care-during-a-seizure/) ## Connections ## Related 4 - [Neurological checks: level of consciousness, pupils and the Glasgow scale](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/neurological-checks-level-of-consciousness-pupils-and-the-glasgow-scale/) - [Preventing falls: risk assessment and measures](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/preventing-falls-risk-assessment-and-measures/) - [Airway suctioning: oral, nasal and artificial airways](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/airway-suctioning-oral-nasal-and-artificial-airways/) - [Recognising deterioration and calling the rapid response team](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/recognising-deterioration-and-calling-the-rapid-response-team/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [First Aid for Seizures](https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/first-aid-for-seizures/index.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2024); [Seizures: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003200.htm) (MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, 2026). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/seizure-precautions-and-care-during-a-seizure/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/seizure-precautions-and-care-during-a-seizure/