Continuous Video EEG Monitoring
- 2. 2 • Thank you for choosing The University of Kansas Hospital for your epilepsy care. • The purpose of this video is to orient you to our program and help you know what to expect during your stay. Welcome
- 3. 3 • The goal of Video EEG monitoring is to determine the type of seizures you are having and to locate where your seizures are coming from in your brain. • This procedure requires hospital admission so you can be monitored 24 hours a day. Video EEG Monitoring Overview
- 4. 4 • Video EEG admissions are typically scheduled on a Monday or Tuesday. • You may check the status of your admission by calling the Admissions Office at 913-588-7193 or 913-588-4588.
- 5. 5 • Your stay will be approximately 3-7 days depending on how frequently you have seizures. • Your doctor would like to capture at least 2-5 of your typical events.
- 6. 6 • Please bring warm and comfortable clothing to wear, as you may not be able to use blankets during monitoring. • Shirts must be button-down so they may be changed while your electrodes and telemetry monitor are on. • You may adjust the thermostat for comfort. What to Bring
- 7. 7 • You may also want to bring games, movies, books and personal electronics from home to occupy your time. • Free Wi-Fi access is available to use with your computer or tablet.
- 8. 8 • Your family members are more than welcome to support you during your stay in the hospital, if at all possible. • They may even be able to help alert us to seizure events. Family Members
- 9. 9 • Please have clean, washed hair upon arrival without gel, oil, hairspray or grease. • Remove all extensions, braids, weaves and cornrows, as these will interfere with the electrode application process. Before You Arrive
- 10. 10 • Please be sure to bring all of your home medications with you. This will ensure the accuracy of your medication record. • These medications will be secured for safekeeping.
- 11. 11 • On the morning of your admission, we would like for you to arrive no later than 11 a.m. • Please take your regularly scheduled medications on the morning of your admission. • While we do everything we can to ensure a bed is ready for you at that time, please know that you may need to wait for a room to become available. The Morning of Your Admission
- 12. 12 • During your stay, you will be a patient on the 8th floor of the heart center at The University of Kansas Hospital. This is the NEPCU (Neuroscience and ENT Progressive Care Unit). • This is a 32-bed unit designed to provide a number of services, including stroke care, neurosurgery and epilepsy monitoring. Neuroscience and ENT Progressive Care
- 13. 13
- 14. 14 Your Room
- 15. 15 • During your stay, you will be cared for by physicians, nurses, patient care assistants (PCAs), neuro- diagnostic techs (NDTs) and support staff. Your Care Team
- 16. 16 • When you arrive in your room, you will be introduced to your primary nurse and patient care associate. • Your nurse will ask you questions to complete your patient profile. • IV access and vital signs will be obtained at this time. Once in Your Room
- 17. 17 • Your nurse will also take this time to orient you to the features of your room.
- 18. 18 • All forms of tobacco are prohibited. This includes cigarettes, e-cigarettes and chewing tobacco. • We would be more than happy to provide you with a nicotine patch or lozenges. • If you are ready and willing to quit smoking, please ask your nurse to see a smoking-cessation specialist. We Are a No-Smoking Campus
- 19. 19 • We want to do everything we can to maintain your privacy and dignity, and we want to do even more to maintain your safety. Patient Privacy
- 20. 20 • All falls are preventable! • Falls hurt and cause unnecessary pain and suffering. They could even lead to injury or increase the length of your stay. Fall Prevention
- 21. 21 • For your safety, staff cannot allow you to perform any task out of bed (or chair) alone that would compromise your safety if a seizure were to occur. • This includes: – Taking you to the restroom – Staying WITHIN AN ARM’S REACH of you while in the restroom – And escorting you back to bed Your Safety
- 22. 22 • Please know that while you are in bed, all 4 side-rails will be raised and padded for your safety. • This is not intended as a restraint, but rather to prevent falls or injury during a seizure. Important Information About Your Bed
- 23. 23 • Your physician will ask that you not use any blankets or sheets during your stay, as it is important that physicians be able to see all of your body movements. • Please dress warmly and adjust the room temperature for your comfort.
- 24. 24 Please do not allow anyone in bed with you – for your safety as well as theirs.
- 25. 25 • You must stay in your room at all times during your Video EEG stay. You Must Stay in Your Room
- 26. 26 • To prevent pneumonia, you will be asked to use an incentive spirometer to expand your lungs. Preventative Care
- 27. 27 • You will be asked to wear leg wraps or sequential compression devices (SCDs) to prevent blood clots.
- 28. 28 • Once your nurse has finished your admission profile, obtained IV access and performed an assessment, electrode application can begin. Preparing for Monitoring
- 30. 30 Prior to application of electrodes, please take a moment to use the restroom, as it will be difficult for you to go once application has begun.
- 31. 31 • Initial electrode application will take anywhere from 1-2 hours. • There will be some light skin scratching of the area where the electrodes are placed. • You will also notice the smell of glue. • Glue is necessary for your electrodes to stay in place. Electrode Application Information
- 32. 32 • The neuro-diagnostic tech will begin by ensuring that your hair is clean and ready. • The tech will then measure your head.
- 33. 33 • During the measuring process, your tech will mark you with a red wax pencil. • Your tech will use a Q-tip and gritty paste to remove dead skin cells and oils from your skin. Please note that this process will not break the skin or cause bleeding.
- 34. 34
- 35. 35 • As the glue is being applied, you will notice that your head will become cold as the glue is drying. • You will also notice the room is noisy due to the oxygen setup required to dry the glue. • You may also notice an odor from the glue. We will do our best to manage the odor by providing a fan.
- 36. 36 • Once you are completely connected to the Video EEG monitor, your nurse or tech will demonstrate the use of the event button and ensure that it functions properly.
- 37. 37 • Your nurse or tech will also instruct you to do your best not to obstruct the view of the camera(s).
- 38. 38 Please do not touch any of the monitoring equipment.
- 39. 39 For your privacy, the bathroom does not have video capability.
- 40. 40 • The goal of Video EEG monitoring is that we are able to observe, record and classify your seizure events. During a Seizure
- 41. 41 • When you are thought to be experiencing a seizure, staff on the floor will be notified by either: – Your loved one or staff pressing the event button OR – An overhead page from the monitor tech in the EMU Sounding the Alarm
- 42. 42 • At the time an event button is pressed, your nurse and PCA will enter the room. • Your nurse will monitor your positioning and vital signs to ensure your safety. • Your nurse or tech may also press the event button again to ensure the recording is marked properly. Event Button
- 43. 43 • Once your nurse has determined that you are safe, your nurse will begin an assessment. • To do this, your nurse will ask you to remember two words. • Your nurse will also ask you to follow a series of simple commands.
- 44. 44 • As your event continues, your nurse will continue to ask you to repeat the words you were asked to remember. • You will also be asked questions to determine your level of consciousness.
- 45. 45 Your nurse will stay with you until you have returned to baseline.
- 46. 46 During an event, your loved one should remember to: 1. Remain calm. 2. Note the time your event began and any warning you may have experienced (if applicable). 3. Stay clear of the camera. Patient Support Provider’s Responsibilities
- 47. 47 • We encourage you and your loved one to say out loud – to the camera – the symptoms you are experiencing before, during and after an event. • This can better help us classify your events.
- 48. 48 Your physician will want to see 2-5 of your typical events.
- 49. 49 • Once your physician has seen enough seizures to classify your events, you are ready to be disconnected from the Video EEG monitor. Disconnection and Discharge
- 50. 50 • Electrode removal will be much faster than application. • But this process requires the use of acetone, which has an odor. • We are happy to provide a fan to aid in air circulation and increase your comfort. Electrode Removal
- 51. 51 • You may experience itching, abrasions and hair loss where the electrodes were placed on your head. • It may also take several washings to remove all of the “glue.” • 100% real mayonnaise may also help with glue removal. After Removal Information
- 52. 52 • Your nurse will provide you with individualized discharge instructions. • As you have been admitted with a seizure condition, it is imperative that you observe seizure precautions: Do not drive, operate machinery, climb ladders, work at heights, cook using a stove, swim or bathe in a tub alone. Returning Home
- 53. 53 • Your nurse will review your specific medications with you and alert you to any changes in your medication regimen.
- 54. 54 • Please be sure to have arranged transportation home prior to your Video EEG admission. • Also be sure to take all of your belongings home with you. We do not want you to lose anything.
- 55. 55 • Please take this time to ask your nurse or physician any questions you may have about this presentation or about the Video EEG monitoring process. Questions
- 56. 56 • Thank you for viewing this presentation. • We wish you the best of luck in managing your condition and are grateful you have entrusted The University of Kansas Hospital with your care. Thank you
Editor's Notes
- #34: Some patients mistake the red wax crayon for blood during the application process. Again I repeat this process will not break the skin