Recognizing Cardiac Arrest during Seizures

1. Resuscitation Council Guidelines

The Resuscitation Council's guidelines emphasize the importance of identifying cardiac arrest in unresponsive individuals not breathing normally.

• Bystanders and emergency medical dispatchers should maintain suspicion of cardiac arrest in patients with seizures.
• Careful assessment of breathing should be conducted in such cases.

2. Treating Unresponsive Individuals

When encountering an unresponsive individual not breathing normally, it is crucial to treat the situation as a potential cardiac arrest and initiate CPR.

3. Suspicion during Seizures

If you come across someone experiencing a seizure, always consider the possibility of cardiac arrest and verify their breathing status.

• During a seizure, the patient's breathing may pause briefly, typically resuming within 10 to 15 seconds.
• In some cases, breathing cessation may extend up to a minute.

4. Continuous Breathing Monitoring

Remain vigilant for signs of cardiac arrest during a seizure episode by continuously monitoring the patient's breathing until they recover.