Baptist Health-Fort Smith opened an inpatient Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) for patients who experience recurring, unprovoked seizures.
Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder and affects people of all ages.
Neurological exams, blood tests, and imaging tests such as an electroencephalogram (EEG), computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used to diagnose epilepsy. Continuously monitoring a patient’s brain activity is also key to a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
During their stay, a patient is monitored 24 hours a day for three to five days. Continuous video-EEG monitoring technology gathers data before the seizure starts, while one is occurring and during the brain’s recovery.
The program is overseen by Mohammad Owais, MD, an epileptologist, of Baptist Health Neuroscience Center-Fort Smith. Owais is board-certified in epilepsy, neurology, and psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
“Epilepsy is a common disorder that can negatively impact a person's daily life, so it's important to properly diagnose the disease and offer the appropriate treatment,” Owais said.