Patients as young as infants can now be closely monitored, diagnosed and treated for sleep disorders and seizures without having to leave their community.
In November, the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Betty H. Cameron Women’s & Children’s Hospital became home to the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Center and Epilepsy Monitoring Unit–the only program of its kind in the area for patients from infancy through age 18, according to hospital spokeswoman Erin Balzotti.
Specialized equipment has been installed in the hospital, allowing for close study of pediatric patients with sleep disturbances and suspected seizure activity.
This technology is part of the Pediatric Neurology program that began in March with the arrival of pediatric neurologist Sasid Taravath, MD, to the hospital staff. The program enhances continuity of care, and allows families requiring specialty care to stay close to home, Balzotti said.
The new sleep disorders center admits patients as young as infants for a one-night study. Those who are admitted for sleep studies may be struggling with obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, bedwetting, sleepwalking, narcolepsy, insomnia, hypersomnia or a combination of conditions. Throughout the night, a registered sleep technician measures and records results using highly specialized equipment. Taravath can then diagnose specific sleep disorders and prescribe appropriate treatment.
A patient with confirmed or suspected seizure activity is closely examined for several days in the epilepsy monitoring unit, where an expert technician observes the patient via video feed. Electrodes placed on the scalp, arms and legs record brain wave activity, creating a long-term video EEG. The unit expects to admit approximately three patients per week, with an average stay of three days.
Direct referrals from a pediatric patient’s physician are needed for admission to the new center. For more information, please visit www.nhrmc.org/betty-h-cameron.
