Importance of access to epilepsy monitoring units during the COVID-19 pandemic: Consensus statement of the International League against epilepsy and the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus and Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark;2. Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA;3. Neurodiagnostic Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA;4. Department of Epilepsy, Movement Disorders and Physiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan;5. Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman;6. UCL NIHR BRC Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, Member of ERN EpiCARE, and Young Epilepsy Lingfield, UK;7. Department of Paediatric Neurology, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa;8. EEG & Epilepsy Unit, University Hospital of Geneva, Medical Faculty of the University of Geneva, Switzerland;9. Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany;10. Institute of Neurology, Hospital de Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Uruguay;11. Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Canada;12. Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA;13. Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salzburg, Austria;14. Affiliated EpiCARE Partner, Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler University Hospital, Salzburg, Austria;15. Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT – University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria |
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| Abstract: | Restructuring of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to lockdown of Epilepsy Monitoring Units (EMUs) in many hospitals. The ad-hoc taskforce of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN) highlights the detrimental effect of postponing video-EEG monitoring of patients with epilepsy and other paroxysmal events. The taskforce calls for action to continue functioning of Epilepsy Monitoring Units during emergency situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Long-term video-EEG monitoring is an essential diagnostic service. Access to video-EEG monitoring of the patients in the EMUs must be given high priority. Patients should be screened for COVID-19, before admission, according to the local regulations. Local policies for COVID-19 infection control should be adhered to during the video-EEG monitoring. In cases of differential diagnosis where reduction of antiseizure medication is not required, consider home video-EEG monitoring as an alternative in selected patients. |
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| Keywords: | COVID-19 Epilepsy Epilepsy monitoring unit Video-EEG |
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