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The role of the electroencephalogram and evoked potentials after cardiac arrest

Sandroni, Claudio ; Grippo, Antonello and Westhall, Erik LU (2023) In Current Opinion in Critical Care 29(3). p.199-207
Abstract

Purpose of review: In comatose cardiac arrest survivors, the electroencephalogram (EEG) is the most widely used test to assess the severity of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) and guide antiseizure treatment. However, a wide variety of EEG patterns are described in literature. Moreover, the value of postarrest seizure treatment is uncertain. Absent N20 waves of short-latency somatosensory-evoked potentials (SSEPs) are a specific predictor of irreversible HIBI. However, the prognostic significance of the N20 amplitude is less known. Recent findings: The increasing adoption of standardized EEG pattern classification identified suppression and burst-suppression as 'highly-malignant' EEG patterns, accurately predicting irreversible... (More)

Purpose of review: In comatose cardiac arrest survivors, the electroencephalogram (EEG) is the most widely used test to assess the severity of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) and guide antiseizure treatment. However, a wide variety of EEG patterns are described in literature. Moreover, the value of postarrest seizure treatment is uncertain. Absent N20 waves of short-latency somatosensory-evoked potentials (SSEPs) are a specific predictor of irreversible HIBI. However, the prognostic significance of the N20 amplitude is less known. Recent findings: The increasing adoption of standardized EEG pattern classification identified suppression and burst-suppression as 'highly-malignant' EEG patterns, accurately predicting irreversible HIBI. Conversely, continuous normal-voltage EEG is a reliable predictor of recovery from postarrest coma. A recent trial on EEG-guided antiseizure treatment in HIBI was neutral but suggested potential benefits in specific subgroups. A prognostic approach based on the amplitude rather than on the presence/absence of the N20 SSEP wave recently showed greater sensitivity for poor outcome prediction and added potential for predicting recovery. Summary: Standardized EEG terminology and quantitative approach to SSEP are promising for improving the neuroprognostic accuracy of these tests. Further research is needed to identify the potential benefits of antiseizure treatment after cardiac arrest.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
cardiac arrest, coma, electroencephalogram, prognosis, short-latency somatosensory-evoked potentials
in
Current Opinion in Critical Care
volume
29
issue
3
pages
9 pages
publisher
Wolters Kluwer
external identifiers
  • pmid:37078623
  • scopus:85158916455
ISSN
1070-5295
DOI
10.1097/MCC.0000000000001031
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3110f447-6d29-4852-8f79-7d785e7daf35
date added to LUP
2023-08-10 11:26:47
date last changed
2024-04-20 00:17:14
@article{3110f447-6d29-4852-8f79-7d785e7daf35,
  abstract     = {{<p>Purpose of review: In comatose cardiac arrest survivors, the electroencephalogram (EEG) is the most widely used test to assess the severity of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) and guide antiseizure treatment. However, a wide variety of EEG patterns are described in literature. Moreover, the value of postarrest seizure treatment is uncertain. Absent N20 waves of short-latency somatosensory-evoked potentials (SSEPs) are a specific predictor of irreversible HIBI. However, the prognostic significance of the N20 amplitude is less known. Recent findings: The increasing adoption of standardized EEG pattern classification identified suppression and burst-suppression as 'highly-malignant' EEG patterns, accurately predicting irreversible HIBI. Conversely, continuous normal-voltage EEG is a reliable predictor of recovery from postarrest coma. A recent trial on EEG-guided antiseizure treatment in HIBI was neutral but suggested potential benefits in specific subgroups. A prognostic approach based on the amplitude rather than on the presence/absence of the N20 SSEP wave recently showed greater sensitivity for poor outcome prediction and added potential for predicting recovery. Summary: Standardized EEG terminology and quantitative approach to SSEP are promising for improving the neuroprognostic accuracy of these tests. Further research is needed to identify the potential benefits of antiseizure treatment after cardiac arrest.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sandroni, Claudio and Grippo, Antonello and Westhall, Erik}},
  issn         = {{1070-5295}},
  keywords     = {{cardiac arrest; coma; electroencephalogram; prognosis; short-latency somatosensory-evoked potentials}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{199--207}},
  publisher    = {{Wolters Kluwer}},
  series       = {{Current Opinion in Critical Care}},
  title        = {{The role of the electroencephalogram and evoked potentials after cardiac arrest}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MCC.0000000000001031}},
  doi          = {{10.1097/MCC.0000000000001031}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}