Seizure Observation

Note the date and time of when the seizure occurred.

What Happens During the Event

Note changes in the following:

• Awareness, alertness, confusion
• Ability to talk and understand – clear speech, responds with only a few words or noises, speech doesn’t make sense, unable to talk
• Thinking, remembering, emotions, perceptions
• Seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling - May have different or unusual sensations, or may sense something that is not really there
• Facial expression – staring, twitching, eye blinking or rolling, drooling
• Muscle tone – body becomes stiff or limp
• Movements - jerking or twitching movements, unable to move, body or head turning to one side, falls
• Automatic or repeated movements – lip-smacking, chewing, swallowing, picking at clothes, rubbing hands, tapping feet, dressing or undressing
• Walking, wandering, running
• Color of skin, sweating, breathing
• Loss of bladder or bowel control

Part of Body Involved

Note where the symptoms started, whether it stayed in that area or spread to other parts of the body, and which side of the body was involved (right, left, or both).

What Happens After the Event (postictal or recovery period)

Is the person:

• Able to respond to voice or touch
• Aware of their own name, observer’s name, place, time
• Able to remember what happened
• Able to talk or communicate
• Weak or numb in any part of the body
• Having a change in mood or behavior
• Tired or need to sleep
• Other symptoms – for example headache, upset stomach, or other pain

How long it lasted:

• Length of aura or warning
• Length of seizure – from beginning to end, but not counting the recovery period
• Length of recovery or postictal period - how long before the person returns to normal activity