Stay calm and stay with them
Note the time the seizure begins. Speak calmly and remain nearby until the person has recovered.
Na ivakasala taucoko e tiko ena vosa Vakavalagi. E tiko tale ga e ra na ivakasala bibi ena nomu vosa. iVakasala ena nomu vosa ↓
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A calm, practical guide
Seizure First Aid
Simple actions can help keep someone safe during and after a seizure. Save or print this guide so it is ready when needed.
This page is not emergency care
If there is immediate danger, difficulty breathing, a prolonged seizure, or you are unsure whether someone needs urgent help, call your local emergency number. Follow an individual seizure action plan where one is available and you have been trained to do so.
What to do
Five steps to help safely
Make the space safer
Move sharp or hazardous objects away. If they are on the ground, cushion their head with something soft and remove their glasses if possible.
Do not restrain them
Do not hold the person down or try to stop their movements. This can cause injury.
After the movements stop, help them recover
If they are lying down, gently turn them onto their side with their mouth facing the ground. Stay with them as they become alert again.
Offer reassurance
When they are fully alert, explain what happened and ask whether they would like a friend, family member, or carer contacted.
Important: after immediate safety
If it is safe to do so
Record a short video of the seizure.
Once the person is safe, you are staying with them, and recording will not delay first aid or calling for help, a video can give their clinician valuable detail that may be difficult to capture in a verbal or written description. It can help the care team understand what happened and guide the next steps in assessment and management.
Safety firstNever record instead of protecting the person, timing the seizure, or getting urgent help.
Keep it simpleRecord from a safe distance without moving, restraining, or crowding the person.
Protect privacyShare the video only with the person, their carer, or their authorised healthcare team.
Seek urgent help
Call your local emergency service if:
The seizure lasts five minutes or longer, or lasts longer than is usual for that person
Another seizure begins before the person regains consciousness
They have difficulty breathing or do not wake up as expected
They are seriously injured, or the seizure happens in water
It is the person’s first known seizure
They are pregnant, or have diabetes and lose consciousness
Local-language essentials
Core first aid in iTaukei and Fiji Hindi
Choose a language for the most important safety actions. The full English guide above remains the reference version if any wording is unclear.
Veivukei taumada ena gauna ni seizure
Vakabulai koya, tiko vata kei koya, ka raica na gauna e tekivu kina na seizure.
- 01
Tiko vakamalua ka tiko vata kei koya
Tiko voleka qai vola na gauna e tekivu kina na seizure.
- 02
Vakacegui na vanua
Biuta tani na veika gata se batabata, qai vakanamaka nona ulu kevaka e davo e qele.
- 03
Kua ni tarovi koya se vakacuruma e dua na ka ki gusuna
Kua ni tarova nona yavavala; kua ni solia kakana, gunu, se wai ni mate me yacova ni sa matata vinaka.
- 04
Vukei koya ni sa vakacegu
Ni sa oti na yavavala, vukica vakamalua ki yasa, qai tiko vata kei koya me yacova ni sa matata.
Urgent help: Kerea veivuke vakatotolo kevaka e sivia e lima na miniti na seizure, e tekivu tale e dua, e dredre nona cegu, e mavoa vakalevu, se e yaco e wai.
Video reminder: Ni sa vakabulai oti koya, e rawa ni yaga e dua na vidio lekaleka vei ira na dauveiqaravi. Kua ni vidio ena nodra sosomitaki na veivukei taumada se kerea veivuke.
Translation-review notice: These concise local-language aids are provided alongside the English source and should be reviewed by iTaukei and Fiji Hindi health-language reviewers before use in printed clinical material or community campaigns.
Sources and further learning
This page summarises publicly available guidance and is reviewed as the site develops. It does not replace individual medical advice or a personal seizure action plan.
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — First aid for seizures: safety steps, recovery position, and emergency indicators.
- NHS — What to do if someone has a seizure (fit): practical steps and when to call an ambulance.
- International League Against Epilepsy — First aid during a seizure: international patient-care resource.