Often, calling an ambulance is not needed, especially if the person is known to have epilepsy and the seizure is no surprise to anyone. However, there are certain cases in which calling 911 may be necessary, such as the following:
- If the seizure lasts for more than five minutes and does not seem to be slowing down
- If the person seems to be having difficulty in breathing
- If the person sustains an injury during the seizure or does not appear to be recovering normally
- If the seizing person does not regain consciousness
Basically, it all depends on the specific situation. If an “ordinary” epileptic seizure turns out to devolve into some complications, it’s out of your hands and medical professionals should be immediately contacted.
