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Review
. 2020 Dec;40(6):675-680.
doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1719073. Epub 2020 Nov 11.

Electroencephalogram Monitoring in Critical Care

Clio Rubinos  1 , Ayham Alkhachroum  2 , Caroline Der-Nigoghossian  3 , Jan Claassen  4
Affiliations
Review

Electroencephalogram Monitoring in Critical Care

Clio Rubinos et al. Semin Neurol. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Seizures are common in critically ill patients. Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a tool that enables clinicians to provide continuous brain monitoring and to guide treatment decisions-brain telemetry. EEG monitoring has particular utility in the intensive care unit as most seizures in this setting are nonconvulsive. Despite the increased use of EEG monitoring in the critical care unit, it remains underutilized. In this review, we summarize the utility of EEG and different EEG modalities to monitor patients in the critical care setting.

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Conflict of interest statement

J.C. is a minority shareholder at iCE Neurosystems. None of the authors have significant conflicts of interest to report.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
qEEG monitoring demonstrating cyclic seizures arising from the right hemisphere in a 72-year-old woman with viral encephalitis. Her neurological examination was significant for altered mental status and left gaze deviation. Transient increases of power, especially in the higher frequencies (arrows), indicate brief right hemisphere nonconvulsive seizures.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A 76-year-old man was admitted to the neurological ICU after a hemicraniectomy for the evacuation of traumatic right subdural hematoma with 6 mm midline shift. The neurological exam was significant for encephalopathy. A limited electrode montage was placed over the left hemisphere due to the presence of wound and surgical wrap. Continuous EEG showed left sided cyclic seizures (arrows on CSA and rectangle on raw EEG).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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