Specialized Neurological Testing Available at DCH

We believe that you should not have to stress about traveling far from home for specialized care or testing. In an effort to make a variety of services available close to home, we are constantly evolving to add services so you don’t have to travel for your health care.

The latest addition to our services includes the ability to do electroencephalograms (EEGs) on site. An EEG is a specialized test that uses small electrodes (discs) to measure electrical activity in the brain. EEGs are typically used to diagnose a seizure disorder (such as epilepsy), evaluate brain activity after a head injury, identify brain dysfunction that may result from other brain disorders, diagnose sleep disorders, or to look for other advanced neurological diseases.

Currently, we offer at home EEGs testing when it is appropriate for a patient’s situation. But, in May of 2023, we will begin offering on-site EEG testing for patients in the DCH Outpatient Clinic, patients in our Emergency Department, and other patients as needed.

So, why should this matter to you?

On site EEGs are not available elsewhere in our region, so by adding this service, we hope to save you the stress and hassle of traveling to “the big city” to get a scan that could help diagnose and direct treatment for a neurological condition.

By bringing this service in house, it means that we will be able to get expert test results both if you believe you have a neurological condition and seek care in our Outpatient Clinic, and if you visit our emergency room for an injury or first occurrence of a seizure or neurological event. Having the ability to do this testing on site will allow faster feedback on your unique situation, even during an emergency.

If an EEG indicates a neurological condition that needs specialized treatment, our Neurologist, Dr. Maher Loutfi, is here to help. He provides specialty care eight (8) consecutive days each month in the DCH Outpatient Clinic, and is available until 7:00 pm on two days each month for your convenience. He will be responsible for reading all of our EEG tests, both when he is on site and when he is not.

If you suffer from pain or decreased function due to a neurological condition, or you suspect you have symptoms that may be caused by a neurological condition, call us at 641-446-2285 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Loutfi. He can help patients with neurological conditions including: dementia, epilepsy, migraines, multiple sclerosis, neuropathy (pain as a result of damage to the nerves), Parkinson’s disease, seizures, and stroke.

To learn more about our neurology service, visit https://www.decaturcountyhospital.org/neurology, or call 641-446-2285. Depending on your insurance, you likely do not need a referral to see Dr. Loutfi.