The Pullman Regional Hospital has been using technology to detect silent seizures in critically ill patients. The hospital started using Ceribell, an EEG device, in May to alert staff if patients are having a seizure.
Ceribell is a wearable, portable instrument that looks similar to a headband. The apparatus notifies hospital staff in fewer than five minutes if patients are experiencing seizure-like activity, Stephanie Knewbow, director of Pullman Regional Hospital’s emergency department, stated in a news release.
The hospital is the first institution to use Ceribell in Washington. Ceribell’s cited research states 25% of critically ill patients seize, and 90% of those seizures are nonconvulsive or silent.
Knewbow stated the hospital has been using this technology on a weekly basis to determine seizure activity. Staff have found seizures in patients who come in with one symptom. There is no way to confirm without an EEG if patients are seizing while they are on a ventilator, sedated or have head trauma, Knewbow stated.
The device is an electroencephalograph (EEG) and works by detecting electrical activity and abnormalities in the brain. EEG’s are commonly used to diagnose brain damage, epilepsy and other neural disorders. Normally, EEG tests can take hours to set up, but by using this technology, staff can perform tests in fewer than 10 minutes.
Pete Mikkelsen, medical director of Emergency Services and chief medical officer for PRH, said timing is crucial when diagnosing seizures because more brain damage can occur the longer a seizure goes untreated.
“This technology is meeting an unmet need, and we’re proud to elevate the standard of care for our patients,” Mikkelsen said. “Care at a small hospital should never mean inferior care.”
Gloss