Stephen Huff 27 Seizures CHAPTER

Generalized convulsive seizures are frightening to observe and often result in EMS calls. Seizures may be the symptom of a serious underlying medical or neurologic condition or may refl ect recurrent seizures, alcohol-related seizures, or poorly controlled epilepsy. It is estimated that between 1% and 2% of emergency department (ED) visits are for seizure-related complaints, with the majority of these using EMS systems. Many receive advanced level fi eld care.1 In one study, seizures accounted for almost 12% of the pediatric EMS transports.2 Every community has a cadre of patients with poorly controlled seizures or alcohol-related seizures who use EMS frequently. One study showed that seizure disorders were a common cause of repeated ambulance use.3 This familiar group of frequent users may lead to a casual indifference to all patients with seizures. Physicians and providers must recall that seizures at some level are the symptom of some central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction and initiate appropriate management steps to lessen morbidity.