Your stay on the Providence Epilepsy Center inpatient monitoring unit

Before you are admitted to the inpatient monitoring unit, we will review your medications closely. We may decide to help you slowly decrease the amount of antiepileptic medications you take prior to or during your hospitalization. It is important to record your seizures during the hospitalization.

We will admit you to our inpatient monitoring unit on a Monday morning. You will stay with us for about five days, depending on how long it takes to gather enough information about your symptoms to make an accurate diagnosis. The epilepsy team will meet with you each morning to discuss the goals and plans for your stay. The epilepsy team includes Dr. Mark Yerby, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of Providence Epilepsy Center, an epilepsy nurse coordinator, an EEG technician and inpatient nursing staff. The EEG technician will attach painless electrodes to your scalp and perform a baseline EEG. The results of this test will serve as a basis for comparison during the rest of your stay.

After your baseline EEG, you will be continuously monitored with an EEG and with video recording until we have collected enough data to confirm a diagnosis for you. When the electrodes are connected, you will spend most of your time in bed and follow our team’s directions to make sure that the EEG is readable. You will want to bring reading materials or other activities to occupy your time while you rest in bed.

Your room will be fully equipped with all the medical equipment necessary to keep you safe during a seizure. You will also have an intravenous (IV) line placed in your arm so that we can get medications into your body immediately if necessary. When you have a seizure, the nurse will help keep you safe from harm. The nurse may also ask you questions during the seizure.

Your doctor and nurse will meet with you each morning to review the results of your study and explain next steps. Once we have enough information to make your diagnosis and create your individual treatment plan, you will be disconnected from the EEG.

You will be discharged when your anti-sezure medications are restarted at a safe dosage. This may include staying in the hospital until you have enough antiepileptic medication in your system.

On discharge, you will be given follow-up instructions. Most patients will follow-up with your referring doctor or Dr. Yerby about 2 weeks after you are discharged.

For more information about inpatient monitoring at Providence Epilepsy Center, please call Dr. Mark Yerby’s office: (503) 291-5300.