801-408-5700 Fax: 801-408-5704

Infusion Center

Welcome to Rocky Mountain Infusion Clinic! Our Infusion Center is located in the Surgical Building 1, Suite 205.   We provide outpatient infusions five days a week, Monday-Friday. Our staff is composed of BSN RN’s who have experience in multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), myasthenia gravis (MG), optic neuritis, neuromyelitis optica (NMO), and other neurological diseases.  We strive to keep a high standard of care for our patients by staying up to date with the latest care, medications, and therapies. Our goal is to provide a comfortable setting for our infusion patients. We encourage our patients to be educated about their care and the medications they receive in the infusion clinic.

What To Expect

  • You are encouraged to bring one guest for your 1st infusion.  At subsequent infusions all non-patients should remain in lobby due to limited space
  • Bring reading material or audio/visual devices. All audio should have headphones. Wifi is available
  • Food and drink are permitted
  • A quiet room is available. Please show respect by silencing all cell phones
  • Hydrate 2 days prior to infusion by drinking approximately 64 oz. of water per day
  • Eat a nutritious meal at least 2 hours prior to infusion
  • Infusion lengths vary depending on the medication and the individual’s tolerability

Different Therapies

Tysabri
  • Plan on 2 hours and 30 minutes for each infusion
    • 15-30 minutes to complete paper work, nursing assessment and IV insertion
    • 1 hour Tysabri infusion
    • 1 hour observation period

Ocrevus
  • Plan on 3-4 hours for the first round and 5-6 hours for every round after
    • 15-30 minutes to complete paper work, nursing assessment and IV insertion
    • First round: 2 hours infusion with 1 hour observation period
    • Subsequent rounds: 4 hours infusion with 1 hour observation period

Rituxan
  • Plan on 4.5-6.5 hours for each infusion
    • 30-60 minutes to complete paper work, nursing assessment and IV insertion, and supportive medication administration
    • 5-5.5 hours Rituxan infusion

Solu-Medrol
  • 1.5-2 hour Solu-Medrol infusion

 

Diagnostic Procedures

Electroencephalography (EEG)

An electroencephalogram is a test that detects electrical activity in your brain using small, flat metal discs (electrodes) attached to your scalp. Your brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active all the time, even when you’re asleep. This activity shows up as wavy lines on an EEG recording.

Preparation: Plan on this test taking 1 hour.  Please arrive to the testing site with clean, dry hair.  Take medication as usual, unless instructed otherwise by your physician.  The technician will be using white sticky gel to attach electrodes to your scalp.  This will remain in your hair after the procedure is over and you may want to plan on taking a shower afterwards to remove the excess gel.  The gel is water soluble and comes out easily with hot water.

Sometimes your doctor will request this test be done after not sleeping or sleeping very little in a 24 hour time period.

Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP)

A Visual Evoked Potential is a test to measure the lapse time it takes for the optic nerve to send a response to the brain.

Preparation:  Plan on this test taking 20-25 minutes to complete.  Three electrodes will be attached to your scalp with sticky gel. You will be asked to watch a red dot in the center of a checkerboard screen while the screen changes. Each time the pattern is changed, a waveform is triggered on the screen according to how long it took for the optic nerve to send the signal. Each eye is tested separately.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

Optical Coherence Tomography is a non-invasive imaging test that uses light waves to take cross-section pictures of your retina, a light sensitive tissue lining the back of your eye.  By distinguishing the retinal layers, OCT is helpful in determining changes to the fibers of the optic nerve.

Preparation:  Plan on this test taking between 20-30 minutes to complete.  You will be asked to rest your head on a support to keep your eyes in a fixed position.  The technician will scan each eye without touching it.

Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) / Electromyography (EMG)

 

Nerve Conduction Velocity test is an electrical test used to detect signs of nerve dysfunction.  Symptoms such as numbness, tingling and/or burning may prompt this test.  Electrodes are taped onto the skin of an arm or leg.  An electrical impulse is then applied on the nerve to trigger a reaction.  The reaction is measured for amplitude, latency and speed.

Electromyography is often done at the same time as a nerve conduction velocity test in order to gain a better understanding of how the nerves and muscles are communicating with each other.  The physician will choose the muscles necessary for evaluation and insert a small needle electrode into the muscle.  Then you may be asked to activate that muscle so the neurologist can listen to the muscle while contracting and assess the health of the nerve activating that muscle.

Preparation: Plan on 1-2 hours to complete this test depending on the number of nerves being examined and if an electromyography (EMG) is necessary.  Do not apply any lotions or creams to your skin prior to the exam.  You may feel some intermittent discomfort during both procedures.  You should feel no pain after the test is finished.

 

Micro Cognitive Function (MicroCog)

Micro Cognitive Function test is a computer administered assessment to detect early signs of cognitive impairment.

Preparation: Plan on this test taking 60-90 minutes to complete.  Please arrive well rested and bring with you any reading glasses or hearing devices you may require.  A technician will instruct you on how to use the simplified computer device.  You will be asked to complete several different tasks on the computer looking at reaction speed, accuracy, memory, processing, and attention.