Seizure Evaluation Clinic: Easy Access to Neurology Experts

When a child experiences symptoms that indicate potentially unprovoked seizures (not triggered by trauma, hypoglycemia, or fever), it’s important to determine if the child has epilepsy or an underlying neurological disorder. Once a child has one seizure, there’s a heightened risk for more. That’s why it’s important for providers like you to be prepared to respond. 

In the uncertainty that follows a seizure, Gillette Children's is here to help with the Seizure Evaluation Clinic.

Every year, tens of thousands of children need medical attention because of a first or newly diagnosed seizure. At Gillette Children’s, a Level 3 Epilepsy Center, our specialists evaluate children—from infants to teens—who experience an unprovoked or prolonged seizure.  

The Seizure Evaluation Clinic is an entry point to expert pediatric care at Gillette Children’s with excellent access to timely evaluation appointments.

In addition to our status as a Level 3 Epilepsy Center, Gillette Children’s offers dozens of specialties under one roof to ensure comprehensive and seamless care. Related specialty appointments available at Gillette include:

• Sleep medicine and sleep studies
• Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation
• Comprehensive imaging services, including EEG, VEEG, and MRI
• Complex care
• A coordinated clinic dedicated to the use of the ketogenic diet to manage seizure activity
• Neurosurgery for intractable epilepsy, including nerve stimulator implantation to control seizures 

A seizure evaluation can help determine the appropriate treatment. A new onset of unprovoked events concerning seizures and epilepsy can be two different things: while some of these patients end up with an epilepsy diagnosis, this is not always the case. Our expert team of compassionate and knowledgeable EEG technicians, nursing staff, and pediatric neurology APPs can help determine the next best steps in developing a care plan for your patient and their unique needs.

We might recommend that you simply monitor your patient. If the evaluation reveals an abnormal EEG or MRI, we might recommend epilepsy treatments such as seizure medication or specialized eating plans such as a low glycemic index or ketogenic diet to reduce seizure activity. 

No matter your patient’s complexity, we offer comprehensive evaluation with expert providers.

At your patient’s Seizure Evaluation appointment, they will meet with a nurse practitioner who specializes in seizure disorders to discuss medical history and complete a physical exam. We evaluate infants, children, and teens to determine seizure type, cause, and risk of future seizures.  

All patients at the Seizure Evaluation Clinic have a same-day EEG appointment before they meet with a clinician. Following the evaluation, your patient and their family will talk with specialists about:  

• The type, cause, and risk of additional seizures.  
• Safety during a seizure, including precautions to take.  
• How to recognize and monitor seizures.  
• When and how to use rescue medicines.  

Depending on the findings from the seizure evaluation, an ongoing, individualized treatment plan will be created with your patient and their family to address the type and cause of the seizures.  

Over the course of treatment, your patient may also work with:  

• Neurodiagnostics, for tests such as EEGs, VEEGs, and overnight sleep studies
• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Pediatrics and general medicine
• Radiology and imaging
• Sleep health
• Psychology
• Neuropsychology 

When you refer to the Seizure Evaluation Clinic at Gillette, you can expect clear and timely communication following your patient’s initial evaluation as well as ongoing communication related to medical needs and care plans.  

Epilepsy is a chronic condition that requires expert care and management as well as strong communication with families and the rest of their care team. Our neurology team will work with you via phone calls and clinic documentation to ensure shared management of your patient’s epilepsy care.

To consult with a pediatric epilepsy specialist, call 651-325-2200 or refer a patient online.