From SanoLabs, the makers of the Sam app
With epilepsy, know what to do in an emergency
If your parent has epilepsy, it means recurring seizures, and the treatment plan belongs with the doctor. You can know first aid and note your observations for the appointment.
How do you give first aid during a seizure?
This applies to any bystander. If your parent has an emergency plan from the doctor, that plan applies.
- Stay calm and stay closeA single seizure usually stops on its own.
- Protect from injuryMove hazards away, protect the head, loosen tight clothing.
- Don't restrain, nothing in the mouthLet the movements happen and don't hold against them.
- Watch the clockNote when the seizure began.
- Stay afterwardsStay until they are fully back to themselves. If they breathe but are unconscious: recovery position.
Sentences for a calm conversation
You can say I would like to know what to do in an emergency. Will you show me?
Your parent knows their own emergency plan.
You can say May I come to the appointment and take notes?
Your parent decides, you offer.
You can say Tell me what you need from me and what you do not.
Hands the lead back.
What goes into the seizure diary?
In Sam, your parent keeps a seizure diary and brings it along as a doctor report (PDF).
- Date and timeWhen the seizure happened.
- What you sawConsciousness, injury, how long it lasted and recovery, in the notes.
- Suspected triggerFor example poor sleep, alcohol or a missed dose.
- Current medicationThe medication your parent takes.
Sam for your parent
A seizure diary that goes along as a PDF
At the neurologist, what happened over the last months matters. In Sam it stands with date and type, in your parent's own entries.
- Note a seizure in secondsType, date, consciousness, injury and whether someone saw it: your parent taps it in and adds the rest in a few words.
- Doctor report as PDFThe doctor report shows seizure count and types, how many were at night, and ticked-off medication, for a period your parent picks.
- Apple Health: sleep and pulseSam adds last night's sleep, HRV and resting heart rate from Apple Health to today's entries, if available. Numbers only, no interpretation.
- Sharing through Care CircleYour parent shares the seizure diary. You see it read-only, with no alerts about their data, not even for a seizure.
Logged seizures3
Seizures by type
Of which nocturnal1
Days since the last seizure12
Doses taken as scheduled27 of 28
A summary of your own entries. Your doctor interprets it.
A calmer way to the appointment
Instead oftelling the doctor from memory when the last seizure was
In SamEvery seizure with date, type and observations, readable in the diary.
Instead ofnotes on slips of paper and in a phone, scattered
In SamA PDF doctor report that sums up the entries of a chosen period.
Instead ofsaying from memory whether the pills were taken regularly
In SamTicked-off doses in the doctor report, if your parent has set up a medication in Sam.
Sam does not detect or report seizures and makes no diagnosis; treatment and seizure plan stay with the neurologist.
What family members often ask
EmergencyWhen should I get help right away?+
This is general safety information, not a diagnosis. Do not judge for yourself how severe a seizure was.
- The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes
- A second seizure follows, or the person does not recover in between
- It is the first seizure ever
- The person gets injured
- Breathing is not normal after the seizure
If your parent has any of these, get medical help now: call your local emergency number (112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US). If you are unsure, call your doctor's practice or your local out-of-hours medical service. Do not use this list to decide on your own whether something is wrong.
Does an app notice when a seizure happens?+
No. Sam does not detect seizures, does not predict them and sends no alerts. Sam records what your parent enters.
What do I do during a seizure?+
Stay calm, protect from injury, don't restrain, put nothing in the mouth and watch the clock. If it lasts longer than 5 minutes, get help right away (see the first question). When in doubt, call.
What applies to driving or work?+
That depends on the individual case and belongs in the neurologist's appointment. Write the questions down together for the visit.
Can I see the seizure diary?+
Only if your parent adds you in Care Circle and shares it. You see it read-only and not live, with no alerts about their data, not even when a seizure happens. You both need Sam, and the sharing can be ended at any time.
May I remind them about their pills?+
Ask whether and how your parent wants that. How the medication is taken is decided by the neurologist.
Go to the appointment with the seizure diary
With Sam, your parent logs seizures and brings them along as a doctor report.
Sam is a wellness companion, not a medical device. Sam does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition and does not replace a doctor. For acute symptoms: call your local emergency number (112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US).