The epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) at Texas Children’s Epilepsy Center is a dedicated 12 bed center providing extended EEG tests for children in a warm and comforting environment. A stay at the EMU may be required for children who are preparing for surgery or who have seizures that are difficult to diagnose.
Each patient’s care coordinator will help families schedule and prepare for a stay in the EMU. Once admitted, children will receive care from highly trained neurologists, neurosurgeons, technicians and child life specialists. This team of experts is dedicated to individualizing patient care and providing the most comfortable, calm environment for children with seizures and epilepsy.
While in the EMU, patients are monitored by a team of technologists 24 hours a day by using electroencephalograms (EEGs) with video. Because every patient is different, the goal of the medical team within the EMU is to evaluate and study a child's seizures and formulate the best possible care plan for each patient.
Child life specialists are a big part of the EMU team, supporting patients and their families every step of the way. They promote comfort, providing positive coping techniques, education and an overall positive hospital experience for patients and families.
As the medical team works together to provide individualized care to patients, collaboration with the patient and their family is critical to achieving a comfortable stay for each child. A caregiver is the expert of their child's specific needs, so their input is vital. While an EMU admission may be new to a patient and family, the video below about an upcoming EMU admission provides information to empower families in their choices as a part of the healthcare team. The video explains the tools families need to collaborate with the medical team and child life specialists, a roadmap to achieving our common goal: ensuring the best possible outcome and experience through individualizing care for each patient and family.
