Pediatric Inpatient Video EEG Monitoring
Name: _______________________________________________
MR #: ___________________
Appointment Date: _______________________________________
Appointment Times: ______________________________
Park in the American Family Children's Hospital ramp. Take the elevators to the 1st floor. Check in at the Guest Depot.
What is video EEG monitoring?
Video EEG monitoring helps to find out if your child is having seizures and, if so, what kind of seizures. During the test, a camera records your child's behavior. This is paired with an EEG reading of your child's brain wave activity. Sometimes movements may look like seizures, but they are not. If your child has seizures, this study will help us learn how strong the seizures are and how often they occur.
It will also help decide if your child is having silent seizures. These are seizures
that lack any physical signs, but changes can be seen on the EEG.
This test takes place in the hospital and can take between 1-5 days to complete.
Insurance
Please call your insurance company to find out if this test and the hospital stay are covered. Some do not cover it. Some need a referral from your primary doctor first. If this is the case, ask your doctor for the referral letter right away. It often takes insurance companies 2-4 weeks to decide on coverage. They will let you know what they decide. Feel free to contact the HMO desk at (608) 263-8773 if you have any questions or need help.
Before the test
Talk to your child about what to expect ahead of time. Encourage questions. Bring a favorite pillow, blanket, stuffed animal, etc. to comfort your child. We have games and toys, but it will help your child if you bring familiar items such as schoolwork, books, games, movies, hobbies or art supplies. Bring clothes to wear during the day and pajamas for night. Your child's shirt or blouse should button or zip in the front. No T-shirts please. Tops that pull over the head cannot fit around the attached EEG wires. Wash your child's hair the night before the test. If your child's hair can be braided or pulled into pigtails or ponytail, please do so. In order to obtain the best test results, your child's medicine may be reduced. If your child's doctor wants to reduce the medicine, it will be done during the hospital stay. Most often, medicine is not reduced before your child comes to the hospital unless your doctor or nurse has specifically told you to do so. We may have your child go without sleep in order to start a seizure. This would be done during the hospital stay rather than at home.
The day of the test
Come early and check-in at the Guest Depot 1/2 hour before the test is scheduled to begin. You and your child will be processed through our Security Office and then taken to your room.
- Getting Ready
Wires will be secured to your child's head. Then it will be wrapped with gauze to keep the wires from getting tangled or pulled off. It is hard for some children to sit still for this part of the test. You may be asked to hold your child until the gauze is wrapped around the head. A neurologist will also see your child and take part in the evaluation.
- Monitoring
A video camera is mounted in the ceiling of your room. It will begin recording your child's activity right away. The EEG technologist will watch the your child and the EEG from another room. Your child may have an intravenous (IV) line placed in one arm in case IV seizure medicines are needed. There can be more severe and/or more frequent seizures. If this occurs, your child's doctor will decide what treatment is best.
- Working Together
When your child feels a seizure coming on, he will be asked to tell the staff by pressing a button attached to the EEG fanny pack. You will also be asked to press this button each time you see an "event" happening or about to happen. Please let us know if the event you are seeing is typical or not. Avoid standing between your child and the camera so all of your child's movements can be seen. This will help the doctor review and interpret the results.
- Activity Restrictions
Your child will be confined to the room. This includes the bed, the area around the bed, and the bathroom. A TV and radio with local channels and a VCR are found in each room. You may sleep on a cot in your child's room. Feel free to use your child's bathroom and shower for your needs. A small light is left on in the room all night so your child can be seen clearly in the video. Your child will eat all meals in the room. You may bring your own food or buy food and bring it back to eat with your child. When you plan to leave the room, let your child's nurse know ahead of time. Plans will be made for staff to sit with your child.
After the test
Your child's seizure medicine will be resumed before going home. Before your discharge or when you get home, schedule a clinic visit to review the results with your neurologist. Reports are most often ready in 2 weeks.
Questions or concerns
If you have any questions, please call (608) 890-6500 and ask to speak to the nurse who helped with setting up the test and admission. If you need to reschedule the test, please call.
If you live out of the area, call 1-800-323-8942 and ask for the Pedatric Neurology Clinic.
The Spanish version of this Health Facts for You is #6559.
The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
Last Updated: 02/13/2013
Copyright © 02/13/2013 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. HF#5481
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