Vagus Nerve Stimulation

[Dispatch]

Hey-

Have any of you heard of Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) for the treatment of refractory epilepsy and treatment resistant depression? It is a device that is implanted in a persons left chest much like a pacemaker. Lead wires from the pulse generator are wrapped around the persons left vagus nerve in the left neck. Stimulation varies in minutes and miliamps, but for depression, it generally stimulates every 5 minutes for 30 seconds. Upon stimulation, neurotransmitters in the brain get "shaken up", and they stimulate the brain into not being depressed, and in those with epilepsy, help control seizures. It is an adjunctive treatment, and FDA approved since the late 90's for epilepsy, and I believe 2005 for depression. At any rate, was wondering if any of you have come across a person with VNS. If you put an electrical current thru their body, it can cause the device to malfunction, and the lead wires may become heated and fry the nerve. If that nerve gets fried, I understand it could lead to possible death-I understand it can swell, cause tissue to swell, therefore cutting off the airway. A person with this device should be required to have a medical alert bracelet or necklace, but we all know it doesn't work that way all the time. EMS personnel should be able to see the scar on the left chest and feel the device.

[traumajunkyems/fire]

We have a seven year old kid with one of these devices, don't really know much about it. Device doesn't always activate when the kid has a sz, kid is unable to talk or do much of anything because of epilepsy. Usually fly him out because the hospital that deals with the device is 1 1/2 hour drive one way for us, compared to the 17 minute flight.

[Dispatch]

We have a seven year old kid with one of these devices, don't really know much about it. Device doesn't always activate when the kid has a sz, kid is unable to talk or do much of anything because of epilepsy. Usually fly him out because the hospital that deals with the device is 1 1/2 hour drive one way for us, compared to the 17 minute flight.

In treating epilepsy, the device is set at so many miliamps that is theraputic for the patient, and is programmed to stimulate every X minutes for an X amount of time. And actually, that is the same for a depression patient. If a patient can recognize that a seizure is coming on, the patient or caregiver can use a specific magnet to increase stimulation until out of a seizure. However, regarding a depression patient, he/she can not increase their own stimulation with the magnet. They can turn the device off with the magnet by placing it over the generator site in the chest.