Seizures and convulsions — emergency ambulance
Anticonvulsants under protocol, airway protection and glucose testing — assigned in under 60 seconds.
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While the ambulance is on its way
- 1
Call now. Look at the clock.
Note the time the seizure started. Anything past five minutes changes the treatment, and nobody remembers the timing accurately afterwards. Say whether this is their first ever seizure, whether they are pregnant or diabetic, and whether they hit their head.
- 2
Clear the space. Cushion the head.
Move furniture, hot drinks and anything hard out of the way. Put something soft under the head, loosen anything tight at the neck, and take off spectacles. Once the jerking stops, turn them onto their side.
- 3
Put nothing in the mouth. Do not hold them down.
No spoon, no key, no cloth, no fingers, no onion, no shoe or leather held to the nose. Nobody swallows their tongue in a seizure, and forcing anything into the mouth breaks teeth, breaks fingers and causes choking. Do not restrain the limbs — let the seizure run its course while you keep them safe.
Call immediately if you see any of these
- —The seizure lasts longer than five minutes
- —A second seizure before they have fully recovered
- —This is their first ever seizure
- —Breathing does not return to normal, or the lips stay blue
- —The seizure happened in water, or they were injured during it
- —The person is pregnant, or is diabetic
- —A seizure with fever in a child
- —They do not wake up properly afterwards
Do not drive the patient yourself if an ambulance is on the way. A moving ambulance can begin treatment; a private car cannot.
What arrives when you call
Anticonvulsants under protocol
Benzodiazepine anticonvulsants carried and given by the crew where a seizure continues past the point at which it should have stopped by itself. A prolonged seizure is an emergency in its own right, not a longer version of a normal one.
Airway suction and oxygen
Suction, oxygen and advanced airway equipment. During and after a seizure the risk is aspiration and an obstructed airway, which is what the crew protects first.
Blood glucose testing
Low blood sugar causes seizures and is treatable on the spot. It is checked before anything is assumed, and treated immediately if that is what it turns out to be.
Continuous monitoring and IV access
Cardiac monitoring, oxygen saturation and IV access from arrival, with the stretcher padded and the patient secured so a further seizure in transit causes no injury.
Cooling for febrile seizures
For a child with a fever-related seizure, temperature measurement and cooling measures, with the parents told what is happening rather than left to watch in silence.
From your door to the hospital bed
Assigned in 60 seconds
The dispatcher stays on the line and can talk you through positioning and timing while the vehicle is on its way.
The clock is recorded
Onset time, duration, what the seizure looked like and how long recovery took. That description shapes the treatment and the neurology follow-up more than any test does — if someone can safely record a video, it is genuinely useful to the doctor.
Glucose first, then anticonvulsants
The crew checks the treatable causes before reaching for a drug, then treats a continuing seizure without waiting for the hospital.
Destination chosen for what the case needs
A first-ever seizure, a prolonged one or a seizure with injury needs imaging and often an ICU bed. The crew routes accordingly and pre-alerts, rather than defaulting to the nearest door.
Bed-to-bed handover with the description intact
Handover completed at the bed with the timing, the drugs given and the account of the seizure documented and a copy given to the family.
Seizures and Convulsions
Questions people ask on the call
Why must nothing go into the mouth during a seizure?
Because it causes injury and does not help. Nobody swallows their tongue during a seizure. Spoons, keys, cloth and fingers break teeth, cause bleeding into the airway and get bitten, and holding an onion or a shoe to the nose does nothing at all. Clear the space, cushion the head, and let it run its course.
Should we hold the person down?
No. Restraining a convulsing person causes dislocations and fractures and does not shorten the seizure. Protect them from hard edges and hot objects, and turn them onto their side once the movements stop.
Does every seizure need an ambulance?
Not always. Someone with known epilepsy whose seizure stops within a couple of minutes and who recovers fully may only need their treating doctor. Call for an ambulance if it is a first seizure, if it lasts more than five minutes, if a second follows before recovery, if there is injury, pregnancy or diabetes, or if you are simply not sure — that last one is a good enough reason.
What about a child with a fever and convulsions?
Febrile seizures are common in young children and usually brief and self-limiting, but a first episode, a prolonged one, or a child who does not recover properly needs urgent assessment. Keep the child safe on their side, do not put anything in the mouth, note the time, and call.
Can we give their epilepsy medicine during the seizure?
No — not while they are convulsing or drowsy, because they cannot swallow safely. Tell the dispatcher and the crew which medicines they take and when the last dose was; missed doses are one of the commonest triggers and it matters to the treating team.
Is the fare higher at night?
No. The published rate for the vehicle class and distance applies at every hour, the total is stated on the call, and the receipt itemises what was charged.