Utility of Continuous EEG Monitoring in Noncritically lll Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

Introduction: Continuous EEG (cEEG) monitoring is used in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting to detect seizures, especially nonconvulsive seizures and status epilepticus. The utility and impact of such monitoring in non-ICU patients are largely unknown.

Methods: Hospitalized patients who were not in an ICU and underwent cEEG monitoring in the first half of 2011 and 2014 were identified. Reason for admission, admitting service (neurologic and nonneurologic), indication for cEEG, comorbid conditions, duration of recording, EEG findings, whether an event/seizure was recorded, and impact of EEG findings on management were reviewed. We evaluated the impact of the year of recording, admitting service, indication for cEEG, and neurologic comorbidity on the yield of recordings based on whether an event was captured and/or a change in antiepileptic drug management occurred.

Results: Two hundred forty-nine non-ICU patients had cEEG monitoring during these periods. The indication for cEEG was altered mental status (60.6%), observed seizures (26.5%), or observed spells (12.9%); 63.5% were on neuro-related services. The average duration of recording was 1.8 days. EEG findings included interictal epileptiform discharges (14.9%), periodic lateralized discharges (4%), and generalized periodic discharges (1.6%). Clinical events were recorded in 28.1% and seizures in 16.5%. The cEEG led to a change in antiepileptic drug management in 38.6% of patients. There was no impact of type of admitting service; there was no significant impact of indication for cEEG.

Conclusions: In non-ICU patients, cEEG monitoring had a relatively high yield of event/seizures (similar to ICU) and impact on management. Temporal trends, admitting service, and indication for cEEG did not alter this.