NCH Becomes One of the First in SW Florida to Launch New Technology to Save the Brain in a Seizure

NCH Healthcare System Becomes One of the First in Southwest Florida to Launch New Technology to Save the Brain in a Seizure

The NCH Healthcare System announced the launch of the new Ceribell Rapid EEG Brain Monitoring program to ensure optimal care is provided for critically ill patients. The Rapid EEG is the first of its kind and is an early warning system that provides a vital sign for brain function.

A quarter of all critically ill neurologic patients are at high risk of seizures. Of those, 90% experience a type of seizure that shows no outward visible signs (non-convulsive) and can only be detected using EEG. If prolonged, non-convulsive seizures can lead to permanent brain injury, higher risk of morbidity and mortality, and longer hospital stay. EEG should be initiated promptly within 15-60 minutes when these seizures are suspected, however, meeting these guidelines have been challenging due to limitations of conventional EEG systems, which were not designed for use in emergency situations and have a long wait time for results.  Even top academic centers with 24/7 EEG capability experience a 4-hour wait-time when using conventional equipment.

The Ceribell Rapid EEG Brain Monitoring system was developed to address these limitations of conventional EEG so patients at risk of seizure can be triaged much more quickly. Using the new Ceribell system, NCH clinicians now have immediate access to EEG information so they can triage at-risk patients in just 5-minutes and monitor patients for treatment optimization.

The device consists of a simple headband, pocket-sized recorder with intuitive software, and an on-line portal for remote viewing. Using the Ceribell system, physicians can review EEG data, assess response to treatment and optimize care, all in real-time.  The technology can be activated in minutes, and clinicians with no prior background in EEG are even able to triage seizure in a short amount of time due to the device’s automatic monitoring and an alert system which enables rapid identification of harmful brain patterns.  Physicians can also access and review the EEG in real-time remotely from anywhere and assess the onsite team’s response to treatment.

“Ceribell founders saw that critically ill patients often experience undiagnosed non-convulsive seizure as a result of lack of access to EEG. Some suffered major neurological deficits while others simply didn’t make it,” said Jane Chao, PhD, Co-founder and CEO of Ceribell.  “It is our mission to ensure no patients suffer unnecessary brain injury as a result of not having prompt EEG. We are excited to see visionary pioneer health care practitioners at the NCH Healthcare System adopting this technology and transforming their EEG capability.”

Paul Hiltz, President/CEO, FACHE

“NCH Healthcare System is becoming an Advanced Community Healthcare System^TM and a big part of that journey, is to adopt new technologies that will advance the care we are able to provide to our community,” said Paul Hiltz, President & CEO, NCH Healthcare System.  “The new Ceribell EEG provides our medical team with the latest diagnostic technology needed to make the most informed treatment decision as quickly as possible to save brain function in our patients who may be experiencing these invisible seizures.”

About NCH Healthcare System

The NCH Healthcare System is a not-for-profit, multi-facility healthcare system located in Naples, Florida, and is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. The System is more than just two hospitals (referred to as the NCH Baker Hospital and NCH North Naples Hospital) with a total of 713 beds. NCH is an alliance of 775 physicians and medical facilities in dozens of locations throughout Collier County and southwest Florida that offers nationally recognized, quality health care to our community. NCH delivers 3,500 babies and houses the only pediatric ER in Collier County serving more than 19,000 children every year.  We take pride in caring for the next generation of leaders. Our mission is to help everyone live a longer, happier, healthier life.  For more information, visit www.NCHmd.org.

About Ceribell

Ceribell, Inc. (www.ceribell.com), is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. Ceribell is focused on making EEG widely available, more efficient, and more cost-effective to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients at risk for seizures.