[Maple Flag]

I was surprised to see the reference to a bite stick. They are a big no-no for us.

Primary reason is the risk of foreign object(s) (bite stick, or parts thereof, broken teeth, bitten off finger tips, etc) going into the airway during the seizure. I'll be the first to admit though that a bitten off tongue can just as easily obstruct an airway, so it's a question of trading one risk for another.

Other reasons include difficulty in placing the bite stick without restraining the head of the patient, and risk of injury to all parties during seizure.

Generally speaking, we (BLS provider) are taught to provide padding under the head, move furniture and other dangerous obstacles out of the way, and wait it out for a maximum of 5 minutes from the start of the seizure. A history taken after the patient recovers will indicate if this is a regular occurrence for them or if the cause of the seizure needs further investigation.

If the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, or a second seizure occurs, your patient becomes a critical transport/ALS call.