September 27, 2014 12:00 AM Share with others:
By Andrew Goldstein / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Allegheny General Hospital on Monday will be opening a new epilepsy monitoring unit that offers a new design that aims to provide quicker and more efficient care.
We [used to] use regular rooms on the floor, but we had to have a sitter with the patient so somebody was right there with them in case they had a seizure, and the nurses were scattered around the floor and they might not get there for 30 seconds or longer, said Jack Wilberger, co-director of the epilepsy program. So its a much safer situation.
The layout of the four-bed unit allows nurses and technical assistants to keep constant watch over epilepsy patients and immediately assist them in case of seizures or other problems patients may encounter.
Doctors are hoping the new space will decrease wait times for epilepsy patients to receive treatment.
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes people to have recurring seizures that happen when clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain send out the wrong signals. People may have strange sensations or behave strangely, and they may have violent muscle spasms or lose consciousness.
Each patient room is equipped with video EEG (electroencephalography) technology allowing physicians to simultaneously record the patients behavior and electrical activity along the scalp. The rooms are also fitted with infrared cameras that can follow patients if they get out of bed and move around the room.
I can actually get a live feed at home on my computer and I can actually move the camera from home, said James Valeriano, chairman of the epilepsy program.
Allegheny General Hospital earned Level 4 distinction from the National Association of Epilepsy Center, the highest level the center gives.
Read more here:
Allegheny General Hospital debuts high-level epilepsy unit