What are the goals in the event of seizures or convulsions?

• A. Maintain airway, breathing, and circulation; administer medications to stop seizure activity; prevent patient injury
• B. Diagnose promptly and discharge
• C. Avoid medications
• D. Move the patient to a different room

Answer: (A)

When a seizure occurs, the immediate goal is to keep the person safe and stable. The top priorities are to preserve life by maintaining the airway, breathing, and circulation, to stop the seizure if there is a prescribed intervention available, and to prevent injury during the event. Ensuring an open airway and adequate breathing helps prevent hypoxia and aspiration, while maintaining circulation supports overall stability. If a seizure medicine is part of the plan, administer it per protocol to shorten the episode and reduce the chance of recurrence or prolonged seizure. At the same time, cushion the head, clear the area of hard or dangerous objects, and avoid restraining the person forcefully.

This combination addresses immediate stabilization and safety, which is why it’s the best choice. The other options miss essential steps: diagnosing and discharging immediately doesn’t address the urgent needs during a seizure; avoiding medications overlooks an important intervention to control seizure activity; and simply moving the patient to another room doesn’t focus on protecting the airway, breathing, circulation, or stopping the seizure.