Patients avoid scheduling longer times off work to travel long distances to unfamiliar clinics.

Now the test can be completed in the familiarity of your own practice/hospital under your own schedule.

Remove the need to refer your patients away for these specialized tests while maintaining complete autonomy and control over your patient’s care.

Add a revenue generating service to your practice/hospital.

Experience the benefits of an on-site neurologist and physiatrist.

The results are available within 24 hours after the completion of the test. Download and print test results right from your own personal secure HIPAA compliant website.

The routine EEG is the most common test for epilepsy. The Archer Medical EEG Technologist first measures the patient’s head so that the electrodes, which are small, metal, cup-shaped disks attached to wires, can be placed in the correct position. A wax crayon, which can be easily washed off later, is used to mark the points on the scalp. Next, the Archer Medical EEG Technologist applies the electrodes, usually using a paste that holds them in place for up to several hours. The Archer Medical EEG Technologist often scrubs each position on the scalp with a mildly abrasive cream before applying the electrodes. This will help improve the quality of the recording.

The electrodes only record the brain waves. They do not stimulate the head with electricity, and pose no danger to the patient. The EEG equipment then digitally records the brain waves as a series of waveforms called traces.

The actual recording usually lasts only 20 to 40 minutes, and the same amount of time is generally needed to prepare for it. Thus, the routine EEG procedure usually takes 1 to 1.5 hours. The test is performed by an Archer Medical EEG Technologist. The patient can help by washing his or her hair the night or morning before the test, but should avoid using conditioners, hair creams, sprays, or styling gels.

A sleep-deprived EEG test is done when you have had less sleep than usual. A sleep-deprived EEG can show subtle seizures, including absence, myoclonic or focal (partial) seizures. When you are tired, the chance that there will be unusual electrical activity in your brain increases. Your doctor might ask you to have this test if you have had a standard EEG test, but it didn’t show any unusual electrical activity.

The patient may fall asleep briefly during a routine EEG, because the room is quiet and often dimly lit, which is ideal, because an EEG obtained during both wakefulness and sleep may provide extra information. During the EEG, the Archer Medical EEG Technologist will ask patients to open and close their eyes several times, may shine flashing lights into their eyes (photic stimulation), or may ask them to breathe rapidly or deeply (hyperventilation). Patients who have a medical problem, such as asthma or heart disease, which makes it unsafe to hyperventilate, should tell the Archer Medical EEG Technologist at the start of the EEG. Similarly, a pregnant woman usually should not undergo hyperventilation or photic stimulation and should make sure to tell the Archer Medical EEG Technologist that she is pregnant at the start of the test.

Your physician may require more information than a routine EEG may be able to provide. It can be difficult to capture an “event” during the short time period of a routine EEG, as seizures and spells are often intermittent in nature. A large percentage of seizures or spells occur at night. In order to capture these events, or to monitor the discontinuation of medication, your physician may order an extended EEG. Extended EEG’s may be done as an overnight study or until an event occurs. Physicians will typically order studies as overnight, 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours or until an event occurs. After the Ambulatory EEG is complete, the technologist will come at the scheduled time to remove it.

Should you have a question after the technologist leaves your house, please call the Archer Medical office phone number in-service 24/7 at 716-205-0433 and we will connect you with the appropriate information that you are seeking at that time.

Physicians will typically order an EEG when a patient experiences a seizure or a spell, when there is an unclear diagnosis, or there are questions regarding the elimination of medications. The frequency of seizures in the general population is quite high at about 11%. The success of medical intervention for the treatment of seizures has been successful, but 35% of individuals experiencing seizures have failed to achieve seizure freedom.

EEG INSTRUCTIONS

• Come 30+ minutes early for registration.

• Do not drink anything that contains caffeine on the day of the study until after its completion.

• Do not put any sprays or gels in the hair on the day of the study until after its completion.

*If you are having an ambulatory, please wear a button-down shirt for your convenience.*

SLEEP-DEPRIVED EEG INSTRUCTIONS

• Please try not to sleep after midnight until the study.*

• Come 15-30 minutes early for registration.

• Do not drink anything that contains caffeine on the day of the study until after its completion.

• Do not put any sprays or gels in the hair on the day of the study until after its completion.

*Please be aware that drowsiness will occur. Please prepare for adequate transportation to and from the test.*

Placing electrodes on the scalp is not a painful process. However, wearing electrodes can cause minimal discomfort during a prolonged EEG. Minimal discomfort is normal. Patients feeling slight pressure, headache or itchiness can be common.

After the EEG recording is done, the Archer Medical EEG Technologist will remove the electrodes from the patient’s scalp, and the patient is free to go home and wash the paste out of his or her hair. The paste is easily washed off. The doctor usually reads the EEG after the patient has left.

If a patient is looking to receive a copy of your EEG report, either for themselves or for the physician, please call our corporate office number at 716-205-0433 to arrange this service.

An electromyography test (EMG) is a test that is used to record the electrical activity of muscles. When muscles are active, they produce an electrical current. This current is usually proportional to the level of the muscle activity. An EMG is also referred to as an electromyogram. EMGs can be used to detect abnormal muscle electrical activity that can occur in many diseases and conditions, including muscular dystrophy, inflammation of muscles, pinched nerves, peripheral nerve damage (damage to nerves in the arms and legs), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), myasthenia gravis, disc herniation and others.

EMG INSTRUCTIONS

• Please come 30+ minutes early for registration.

• Please bathe prior to coming to complete the test.

• Please do not apply any lotions or oils to your skin prior to the test.

• Please wear loose-fitting clothes.

• Please do not wear any jewelry.

There is some mild discomfort when the needle is first inserted through the skin since all of the pain receptors are located in this area. Once the needle is introduced into the muscle, the patient usually perceives it as discomfort or pressure rather than pain.

You will be able to drive yourself to and from the test and you will be able to resume your normal work routine immediately after the test.

In order to schedule your EEG, please call our office 716-205-0433 and be prepared with the following information to provide our staff:

• Name of Patient

• Reason for Study

• Referring Physician

• Brief Patient History

WHAT TO BRING (ALL TESTS):

• A Valid Photo I.D.

• Your Referring Prescription

• A Complete Medication List

• A Valid Insurance Card