Multidisciplinary preceptors from the Anita Garibaldi Center for Health Education and Research (Anita), at the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), held a training activity on epilepsy for teams of doctors and nurses working in the basic health network of the municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante (RN). Last week, 32 doctors and nurses from the municipality, who work in health units in the urban and rural areas of the municipality, participated in the training. 

The action is part of a project that aims to train primary care professionals so that they know how to carry out monitoring, diagnosis, possible referrals and provide all the necessary support for the demands of eventual cases of epilepsy that reach the network. The disease can cause convulsions or non-convulsive seizures and, for example, sensations of distorted perception, uncontrolled movements of a part of the body or sudden fear. 

The training focuses on cases of controlled epilepsy, which can be treated with medication and can count on the assistance of Basic Health Units. “The training of the teams was designed to improve patient care in their municipalities and to qualify the care and management of Epilepsy, in addition to understanding the referral flow of people with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy, which are the most serious cases,” explains the multidisciplinary preceptor and social worker at ISD, Alexandra Lima, one of the professionals leading the action. 

São Gonçalo do Amarante is one of the municipalities covered by the Specialized Rehabilitation Center (CER IV ISD) located in Anita, and is the third to receive training on the subject, which has already had professionals from Macaíba and Extremoz as its audience. 

The CER IV ISD Epilepsy Clinic is a reference in Rio Grande do Norte in providing assistance to drug-resistant epilepsies – which trigger seizures that are difficult to control with medication. 

“Even cases that are difficult to control, when discharged, are monitored more closely by family health strategies, so it is important that professionals are able to receive, recognize and provide the necessary assistance to patients with epileptic conditions,” says Alexandra. 

Treatment at ISD

The epilepsy clinic at the Specialized Rehabilitation Center (CER-lll) at Anita/ISD is a service for the reception, care and specialized multidisciplinary treatment of severe epilepsies, known as drug-resistant. 

The Multidisciplinary Service Specialized in Pharmacoresistant Epilepsy (SEMEP), has a team of professionals from Neurosurgery, Pediatric and Adult Neurology, Social Work, Psychology, Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Nutrition specialized in the Ketogenic Diet.

About ISD

The Santos Dumont Institute is a Social Organization linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC) and includes the Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute and the Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center, both in Macaíba. ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research and extension actions, in addition to contributing to a fairer and more humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.