Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
Unique Epilepsy Monitoring Unit Critical to Diagnosis
In Holy Cross Hospital's Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, clinicians with special training and expertise assess and monitor patients with seizure disorders, including epilepsy. Physicians use the information collected by advanced monitoring and imaging technology to accurately diagnosis seizure problems and to develop a plan of care suited to each patient's needs.
| Michael Maletta receives the right treatment for his epilepsy after a stay in the Holy Cross Hospital Epilepsy Monitoring Unit. |
An epileptologist leads the unit's team of caregivers. An epileptologist is a neurologist with specialized experience in managing the complex care of patients with epilepsy.
The Holy Cross Hospital Epilepsy Monitoring Unit is accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers as a Level 3 Epilepsy Center. Level 3 epilepsy centers have the professional expertise and facilities to provide the highest level of medical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy.
Brain Monitoring Technologies: This unit features specialized brain-monitoring tools to help physicians evaluate epilepsy and non-epileptic seizures in adults. Some of these tools record normal and abnormal brain activity over a period of time. Others create detailed images to help physicians pinpoint the area of the brain that is producing the seizures.
- Video EEG (electroencephalography) monitoring records subtle abnormalities in the brain's electrical activity.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) creates digital images of structures inside the brain.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) shows blood flow in the brain and chemical activity.
- The Wada test determines the locations in the brain that control speech and memory.
Private, Specially Equipped Rooms: Every patient in the unit has a private room and bath -amenities to make them feel comfortable during several days in the hospital. The length of stay in the unit will vary from patient to patient and depends on which tests the epileptologist recommends.
Every room is equipped with a continuous EEG system. The care team attaches EEG electrodes to patients' scalps in order to record and document brain activity. Each room also is equipped with a video recording system, as well as an alarm that alerts staff at a central monitoring station if patients or visitors suspect an oncoming seizure.
Care Team: A team of specially trained nurses and technicians help deliver patient care. They monitor and document test results, such as EEG data, and observe a real-time video that provides the physician with information critical to diagnosing patients.
Learn more about what to expect and how to prepare for the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit.