Application of continuous video-electroencephalographic monitoring in patients with consciousness disorders in intensive care unit

Abstract

To evaluate the application value of continuous video-electroencephalographic (cVEEG) monitoring in patients with consciousness disorders in intensive care unit (ICU). Retrospective analyses were conducted for applying cVEEG in the clinical diagnosis and outcome evaluation of 54 patients with consciousness disorders in intensive care unit (ICU) at our hospital from January 2008 to April 2014. The most common cause was cerebrovascular disease (46.3%) followed by ischemic-hypoxic encephalopathy after cadio-pulmonary resuscitation (18.5%). And 49 cases (90.7%) showed an abnormal background on initial cVEEG, 19 cases (35.2%) had epileptic discharge and 8 cases (14.8%) were diagnosed with nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE). Among 6 cases of convulsive patients, only 1 had epileptic discharge patterns of isoelectric, invariable low amplitude. Burst-suppression, persistent θ rhythm-like background activity, persistent diffuse epileptic discharge and periodic waves had high mortality rate. Stroke is a major cause of consciousness disorders. And continuous VEEG monitoring is beneficial for clinical diagnosis, differential diagnosis and outcome evaluation.