Recently, my mission to get to a pub inSoho was interrupted by a woman lying on the pavement.
The man with her immediately startedshouting at passers by, demanding to know why they hadn't called her an ambulance.
So, with my laptop in one hand, and mymobile in the other, I called 999. Once I'd made the call, the woman suddenly awoke from her coma andsprung up on her feet. "Ere mate," she said, "I don't need an ambulance, I'mnarcoleptic. Give me your phone and I'll explain to them, so you won't get introuble."
It turns out you can't cancel an ambulanceanyway. Three turned upeventually. I'm glad I didn't give her my phone as a man who witnessed thewhole event said it was a scam.
Still, the point is, most of us haven't gota clue what to do if we see someone having a fit or a seizure.
So hats off to Robert O'Keefe, Citrix'slocalisation manager, who has attempted to raise awareness by creating a freeinformation app for Android phones.
The app contains essential first aid tips,including a step by step guide to the recovery position, basic information aboutepilepsy and a link to an interactive seizure diary.
The Epilepsy Society has given the app itsfull endorsement and it's available for download here
It was developed with the help of employeesfrom IT company Citrix through the company's Global Day of Impact.
But it's better than nothing, surely.
NSE communications manager Amanda Cleaver explains, "Epilepsy is a very complex condition.Being able to record details about seizures and make notes about circumstancesleading up to an episode are vital to the management and treatment of thecondition."
Fair enough.
"We also hope that the app will haveuniversal appeal," she says, "as the first aidadvice and step by step guide to the recovery position can be a useful tool foranyone."
Epilepsy first aid fundamentals
· Keep calm
· Check your watch to note the time
· Cushion the person's head
· Put them into the recovery position after the convulsions (shaking) stop
· Stay with them until they have recovered and their breathing has gone back to normal
· If the seizure doesn't stop after 5 minutes, call for an ambulance
· Don't hold them down
· Don't put anything in their mouth
· Don't move them unless they are in direct danger
This was first published in May 2011
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