5 year old collapsed and unconscious for 15 minutes

[mumemma2boys]

Hi. First time posting as couldn’t find anything similar to my situation. My 5yo ds collapsed at sports club and was unconscious for 15 minutes. The coach said he had rapid eye movement during this time but no other movement. He was taken to hospital by ambulance but they didn’t have an explanation for it and we are now awaiting a clinic appointment. The doctor advised us to follow precautions for seizures until his appointment. I’m very worried and don’t want to leave him alone as I fear it could happen again. From what I have read 15 minutes seems a long time for a seizure. Does anyone have any experience of anything similar?
Thanks in advance

What was he doing at the sports club? Did he bang his head and no one saw? Did anyone see him become unconscious or was it just that someone noticed and then they couldn’t wake him? Were you there? did you see it happen?

Tinty - I wasn’t there. He was doing football training - he had just finished dribbling the ball and was talking to his little friend. During a conversation with the little boy he fell to the ground. Only the little boy saw him fall to the ground so he was already down before the coach was alerted. I didn’t arrive until later so didn’t see him unconscious.

Hello OP. I hope DS is ok today and you have more answers about what was wrong with him.

He’s ok thanks Tinty. Unfortunately no further forward with finding answers. Spoke with the GP who said that they would do tests when he gets his clinic appointment. That’s not for another month though so I’m just worried it happens again. I called the secretary for the doctor he will be attending and asked if they have anything sooner and she said it’s not marked as urgent so she can’t give anything sooner. I explained I was worried as it could happen again but she just said to call if he has another episode. I’m just really hoping it doesn’t happen again while we are waiting on his appointment. X

If it happens again I would go to A&E

Sometimes this happens op and sometimes there’s a diagnosis and sometimes not it can be a one off you may never know why it happened and it may not happen again.

However your son is fine, he recovered and came home with you, and you’re aware now so you can be on it if something happens again. You can remember this when you start to become anxious about it, it was scary at the time but he was ok and he’s being followed up by the correct people. 999 is always there op if you need it.

A paediatric basic life support class might help you understand what to do if it does happen again, when to call for help etc. School and sports club will have people trained. If it happens again and there are more than one of you video on it on your phone for the consultant it can be very helpful but only if this can be done safely with another person present. Stay calm and the appointment will come in no time. Maybe a diary between now and then so any triggers can be noted if it does re occur.
The paramedic may have done an ecg abs seen something Unusual, I would imagine it had resolved by the time the paeds drs checked again. They will do more tests when he’s seen again. I really hope it was nothing op, & I hope the appointment comes really soon and nothing else happens in meantime and your little man is doing ok

I really really do not want to scare you but please do not let this drop until you are happy with a reason. Things like Sudden Cardiac Arrest can happen to all people of all ages for no apparent reason. If it happened again, do all the family know what to do, know CPR. I would also suggest tell his school so all the teachers are aware what happened.

DS had about 5 febrile seizures between the ages of 2 and 5. All spiked by fevers. The first (longest) he was out for 15 minutes. What you've described though doesn't have the classic twitching which was unmistakable with DS.
Seems to grow out of them.
Then Bang when he was 18 had a huge Grand Mal seizure at home. Was again out for about 15 minutes. Very frightening. I honestly thought he was going to die. Investigations with a neurologist suggested that his childhood seizures had left him with some scarring on the brain which caused the 'short circuit'. He's 25 now and has been on anti seizure meds since that episode. We very bravely allowed him to continue with his gap year and go to the wilds of Nicaragua with his new meds. Then he went to Cambridge and now he's married. So he's fine. No long term harm done. But we'll never stop worrying that it could happen again.
It's obv early days for a diagnosis for you. Just chomp your way through any further tests offered - I imagine you'll be offered an EEG. And good luck. it is scary. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Thank you for sharing your experience shallIswim. It’s reassuring that your DS hasn’t let this hold him back in life. It was very brave and selfless of you to allow him to continue with all his plans. I can’t imagine how worried you must have been allowing him to travel so far. I hope it’s all a distant memory for you all now and he doesn’t experience anything like it again.

I have informed the school of what happened so all staff who around ds are aware. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed it was a one off but will just need to wait and see for now. Thanks again everyone for all the suggestions, it’s appreciated.

I have no advice but it sounds scary and I can only imagine what your going through.

Wishing you and your son all the best.

My little one had a prolonged febrile seizure (almost an hour long)when he was only 10 months.It was the scariest moment of my life. He is now 2 and a half and hasn't experienced any since that one, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that it would be a one off. With the pandemic going on, I can imagine the backlog of patients waiting to be treated is huge. If money is not an issue, I would go and check him out privately rather than waiting forever. Hopefully it is nothing serious, but you can never be certain until all the tests are done.

Our 1 yr old had been slightly off colour for a few weeks pale and hangy, poor appetite, back and forth to GP several times. I was alone in rural home, DH far away with only car, when the baby had a full seizure ( strange wild cry then unconscious and jerking|) that lasted well over an hour. He was still fitting when the GP arrived; when the ambulance arrived, and when we arrived in the hospital 20 miles away.

The hospital kept him in for 2 days observation and numerous tests but never found any medical explanation. They suspected meningitis but it wasn't. He sprang back to normal health, never had a fit again and is a healthy adult now.