Ceribell teamTrinity Health Mid-Atlantic proudly announces the addition of the sophisticated Ceribell Rapid Response EEG brain monitoring system at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital and Nazareth Hospital. The device allows physicians and nursing staff to receive real-time results and provide immediate treatment during medical emergencies involving patient seizures.

Most people think a seizure is characterized by body stiffening, and jerking or twitching. However, that is often not the case. During a seizure, most critically ill patients experience change in behavior and mental status, which are detected with an electroencephalogram, or EEG. Over time, these seizures can cause permanent brain damage, leading to a higher risk of morbidity and mortality.

The Neurocritical Care Society recommends initiating an EEG within 15 to 60 minutes of when a seizure is suspected. However, due to the limitations of conventional EEG systems, clinicians can experience up to a 4-hour wait time for results. Consequently, the traditional systems are not suitable for emergency responses.

Ceribell’s Rapid Response EEG brain monitoring system consists of a simple headband, a pocket-sized recorder, and an online portal for remote viewing. The device will help better ensure optimal care to critically ill patients at Mercy Fitzgerald and Nazareth by providing clinicians with immediate access to EEG data and other vital diagnostic information, allowing our teams to make informed treatment decisions more quickly.

Clinicians at Mercy Fitzgerald and Nazareth have completed training and begun using the new system in their emergency departments and intensive care units. Krikor Tufenkjian, MD, a board-certified neurologist at Mercy Fitzgerald, provides oversight of the Ceribell device readings. To ensure that data is not missing, Tufenkjian reviews ongoing studies to provide a physician’s interpretation in addition to the software’s records.

Ceribell demo“This device fulfills a clinical need,” Dr. Tufenkjian states. “It helps in early diagnosis and treatment of status epilepticus, and aids in avoiding unnecessary treatment in cases that appear as status epilepticus but are due to alternative cases.”

Shortly after training on the Ceribell system was complete in June, an emergency medical situation involving a patient seizure occurred at Mercy Fitzgerald. Because they had access to the advanced Ceribell technology, the physician and nursing teams were able to provide immediate treatment with ease. Afterward, the teams stated it was fascinating to see the EEG results in real-time after a quick set-up with the device.

With the addition of the Ceribell system, our staff is excited to provide advanced neurological care to patients in the communities they serve.