Training neonatal staff in recording and reporting continuous electroencephalography

Abstract

Continuous electroencephalography can contribute useful information to clinical decision-making in neonatal care. Equipment is now reliable and user-friendly enough that its use can be taught to medical and nursing staff so that a 24-hour capability is achieved. It is possible to teach neonatologists, in a 1-day course, background knowledge on EEG and amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG), recognition of aEEG patterns that have clinical significance, recognition of seizures using aEEG and "raw" EEG, the essentials of electrode placement for aEEG, and interpretation of findings in the clinical context. This must be followed up by background reading, frequent peer-review sessions on EEG recordings, and a reliable system for storing and access, as well as willingness to consult experienced operators elsewhere.