Emergency Room Seizure Treatment

Watching someone have a seizure can be a genuinely frightening experience. The shaking, the loss of control, the uncertainty of what to do next. It can leave you feeling completely frozen.

If someone near you is having a seizure right now, call 911 immediately. Paramedics can begin life-saving seizure treatment on the way to the hospital, and that head start can make all the difference. 

This guide can help you understand what seizures are, what to do if one happens in front of you, and when to seek emergency care afterward. Think of it as a general reference to keep in your back pocket, because knowing what to do before an emergency happens is always better than figuring it out in the moment.

If you or someone you love experiences complications after an active seizure, Complete Care is ready to help around the clock. With freestanding ER locations across Texas and Colorado Springs, our doors are open 24/7 with no long wait times and emergency-trained physicians on staff.

Please note: Complete Care freestanding ERs are not equipped to treat active seizures, which is why getting 911 on the line as fast as possible is the most important thing you can do. For life-threatening situations, please call 911.

Table of Contents

• Common causes of seizures
• When is a seizure a medical emergency?
• What to do in a seizure emergency
• When to go to the ER for a seizure
• What does the ER do for seizures?
• FAQs

Common causes of seizures

Seizures can happen to anyone, and they are more common than most people realize. While epilepsy is the condition most people associate with seizures, there are actually many different reasons a seizure can occur.

• Epilepsy
• High fever
• Diabetic seizure
• Head injury
• Alcohol or drug withdrawal
• Stroke
• Infection

No matter the cause, the response in the moment is largely the same. Staying calm, keeping the person safe, and knowing when to call 911 are the most important things you can do.

When is a seizure a medical emergency?

Seizures can be frightening to witness, but most resolve on their own within a minute or two. However, there are certain symptoms during a seizure that signal something more serious is happening and that emergency help is needed right away.

• Convulsions that will not stop: If the person’s body is shaking uncontrollably and the seizure shows no signs of slowing down after five minutes, that is a medical emergency.
• Loss of breathing: If the person’s lips or fingertips start turning blue, or you cannot detect normal breathing during or after the seizure, call 911 immediately.
• Unresponsiveness after the seizure ends: It is normal to feel groggy and disoriented after a seizure, but if the person cannot be woken up or spoken to at all, do not wait.
• Repeated seizures in a short period: If one seizure is immediately followed by another before the person has had a chance to recover, that is a serious warning sign.
• Signs of physical injury: If the person hit their head, fell hard, or shows any signs of trauma during the seizure, they need emergency evaluation right away.
• Difficulty breathing after the seizure ends: Labored or noisy breathing that continues once the seizure is over is not normal and needs immediate attention.

If you notice any of these symptoms, call 911 right away. Do not attempt to drive the person to the ER yourself. Paramedics can begin treatment on the way to the hospital, and that time matters.

Read our guide to learn more about when a seizure is a medical emergency

What to do in a seizure emergency

Knowing how to help someone having a seizure before one ever happens can make a real difference when it counts. The most important thing to remember is to stay calm. Panicking makes it harder to take the right steps, and the person having the seizure needs you to be focused and present.

• Call 911 if any emergency signs are present: Do not wait to see if the situation improves on its own. If anything from the list above applies, call 911 immediately.
• Gently lower the person to the floor: If you are able to, carefully ease them down to prevent a fall and roll them onto their side. This helps keep their airway clear.
• Support their head: Place something soft underneath their head, like a folded jacket or a pillow, to cushion it from the ground.
• Clear the area: Move any nearby objects that could cause injury during the seizure, especially if their arms and legs are moving.
• Loosen tight clothing: Remove eyeglasses and loosen any collars, ties, or tight clothing around the neck that could make breathing difficult.
• Time the seizure: Note when the seizure started. If it goes past five minutes, call 911 immediately if you have not already.
• Stay with them until they are fully awake: Once the seizure ends, stay by their side. Speak to them calmly, explain what happened, and help them get to a safe, comfortable position.

There are also a few things you should never do during a seizure:

• Do not hold the person down or try to restrain their movements
• Do not put anything in their mouth
• Do not offer food or water until they are completely alert and coherent

Most seizures will end on their own within one to two minutes. Once the person is awake and oriented, help them sit somewhere safe and comfortable and check in on how they are feeling. If they have a seizure treatment plan prescribed by their doctor, now is the time to follow it. And if anything about the situation still feels off after the seizure ends, trust your instincts and call 911 or head to your nearest emergency room for examination.

When to go to the ER for a seizure?

Not every episode requires seizure treatment in the hospital, but some absolutely do. People who have been diagnosed with epilepsy often have a treatment plan in place and may be able to recover from a seizure without emergency intervention. That said, there are certain situations where waiting is not an option. 

Call 911 immediately if any of the following apply:

It is their first seizure

If someone has never had a seizure before, an emergency evaluation is critical. A first seizure can be a sign of a serious underlying condition that needs to be identified right away.

The seizure lasts longer than five minutes

Most seizures resolve on their own within one to two minutes. How long of a seizure is too long? A seizure that goes beyond five minutes is considered a medical emergency and requires immediate attention.

A second seizure follows shortly after

If the person has another seizure before fully regaining consciousness, do not wait. Call 911 right away.

The person is not breathing or is struggling to breathe

Any disruption to normal breathing during or after a seizure is a serious warning sign that emergency help is needed.

The person was injured during the seizure

Falls, collisions with furniture, or other injuries that happen during a seizure may require immediate medical care.

The seizure happens in water

A seizure in a bathtub, pool, or any body of water carries an extremely high risk of drowning and is always a 911 situation.

The person has a pre-existing health condition

If the person has diabetes, heart disease, or is pregnant, a seizure carries additional risks that make emergency evaluation especially important.

The person remains confused or unresponsive after the seizure ends 

Some disorientation right after a seizure is normal, but if the person cannot be roused or stays confused for an extended period, call 911.

When in doubt, make the call. It is always better to get help that turns out to be unnecessary than to hold back in a situation that needs it.

What does the ER do for seizures?

When someone arrives at the emergency room following a seizure, the medical team’s first priority is stabilization. Seizure treatment in an emergency setting moves quickly, and the steps taken will depend on what triggered the seizure and how the patient is presenting when they arrive.

1. The ER physicians will ask questions about the seizure, including how long it lasted, what it looked like, and whether the person has a history of seizures or any pre-existing conditions. If the patient is unable to answer, a bystander or family member can be a huge help here.
2. A blood draw is often one of the first steps. It can reveal whether the seizure was triggered by low blood sugar, an infection, a medication imbalance, or other underlying issues.
3. A CT scan or MRI may be ordered to check for any structural abnormalities in the brain, such as bleeding, swelling, or a tumor, that could have caused the seizure.
4. An electroencephalogram (EEG) measures the electrical activity in the brain and can help doctors identify abnormal patterns that point to epilepsy or other neurological conditions.
5. If the seizure is ongoing or recurring, the ER team may administer anti-seizure medication intravenously to bring it under control as quickly as possible.
6. Once the patient is stable, the ER team will monitor them and work on identifying next steps, which may include a referral to a neurologist or an updated seizure treatment emergency plan to follow going forward.

The goal of emergency seizure care is not just to stop the seizure but to understand why it happened and make sure it is less likely to happen again.

FAQs

Should I go to the ER after a seizure?

If it was your first seizure, the seizure lasted longer than five minutes, or you experienced any injury, head to the ER or call 911 right away. People who have a known seizure disorder and recover quickly may not need emergency care every time, but it is always better to get checked out if something feels different or more severe than usual. When in doubt, seek care.

How long is too long for a seizure?

Most seizures last between 30 seconds and two minutes and stop on their own. A seizure that continues past five minutes is considered a medical emergency and requires an immediate 911 call. The longer a seizure goes on without stopping, the greater the risk of serious complications.

Can dehydration cause seizures?

Yes, severe dehydration can disrupt the balance of electrolytes in the body, which affects how the brain functions and can trigger a seizure in some cases. This is more common in young children and older adults, but it can happen to anyone. Staying hydrated, especially during illness or intense physical activity, is an important part of seizure prevention.

Do seizures cause brain damage?

A single, brief seizure is unlikely to cause lasting brain damage in most people. However, prolonged seizures or seizures that occur repeatedly over a short period can deprive the brain of oxygen and increase the risk of long-term neurological effects. This is one of the key reasons why getting emergency help quickly during a severe seizure matters so much.

Seizure complications don’t wait, and neither should you.

If someone near you is having an active seizure, call 911. That part is non-negotiable. But seizures can leave a lot of uncertainty in their wake, and that is where Complete Care comes in. Whether you are dealing with a head injury from a fall, lingering confusion, trouble breathing, or any other complication that follows a seizure, our emergency-trained physicians are ready to help.

Complete Care does not provide seizure treatment for active seizures, but we are fully equipped to handle the emergencies that come before and after. With freestanding ER locations in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas/Fort Worth, East Texas, Lubbock, San Antonio, and Colorado Springs, we are open 24/7 with no long wait times and a medical team that is ready the moment you walk through the door.

The information provided is for educational and informational purposes to help you better understand health conditions and emergency care, but it is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment recommendations, or a substitute for professional medical evaluation. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room immediately. The content on this site does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be relied upon as the basis for any medical decision. Complete Care’s 24/7 freestanding emergency rooms are staffed with emergency physicians ready to provide immediate, in-person evaluation and treatment when you need it most.