Hesperian Health Guides
When seizures are an emergency
HealthWiki > Epilepsy and Seizures > Chapter 3: Types of seizures and how to identify them > When seizures are an emergency
| Status epilepticus is a medical emergency! |
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Status epilepticus is the name for a seizure that lasts longer than 5 minutes. It is usually not one but many seizures with little or no recovery time between them. To someone watching, though, status epilepticus may look like one long seizure. Status epilepticus is a medical emergency that needs to be treated immediately with rescue medicine. A person in status epilepticus may or may not have convulsions or other body movements. A lack of convulsions can make status epilepticus difficult to recognize. When a person has uninterrupted absence seizures for more than 10 to 15 minutes, this is also a form of status epilepticus.
IMPORTANT! Status epilepticus can continue for up to 30 minutes (for generalized tonic-clonic seizures) or 60 minutes (for focal seizures), even after giving emergency medicine. This can cause brain injury and may even lead to death. To learn how to help, see Chapter 2.
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Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP)
When people with epilepsy have access to the medicines and support they need, many injuries and risks to health can be avoided. But even when people know how to stay safe and do everything right, there is still a possibility they may fall victim to a condition called SUDEP.
SUDEP stands for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. As the name suggests, death from SUDEP happens quickly and without warning. It can shock and traumatize families who are often unaware of its existence until it happens. Thankfully, SUDEP is relatively rare.
Little is known about what causes SUDEP. It can affect people with all types of seizures, but it seems to affect those with tonic-clonic seizures more. Since access to medicine and care seems to lower the risk of SUDEP, preventing it requires community action. More research into the causes of SUDEP is desperately needed.
