Continuous EEG in Neuro Critical Care by Brandon Foreman<\/p>\n
Brandon loves wavy lines. He will draw the curtain on the use of continuous EEG in neuro critical care.<\/p>\n
Evidently, Brandon takes us back to medical school with some neuroanatomy and physiology to underpin our understanding of the EEG.<\/p>\n
Then, Brandon depicts what an EEG is telling us. Bumps, lines, amplitudes and hertz are all demystified. With this knowledge, there is a lot we can do with continuous EEG.<\/p>\n
A few examples: EEG can be reflective of external stimulus \u2013 be it a shock, a sound, or a pinch. This is useful at the bedside and tests for reactivity.<\/p>\n
Reactivity demonstrates whether a signal is getting from the body to the brainstem, to the thalamus and to the cortex.<\/p>\n
Moreover, reactivity is one of the most conserved, independent prognostic indicators in coma which makes it important to capture using EEG.<\/p>\n
In the ICU, an EEG can show atypical sleep \u2013 indicating they are very unwell. If sleep is generated on Day 3 post TBI \u2013 there is the capacity to recover.<\/p>\n
Finally, Brandon wants us to interact with our patient\u2019s EEG and remember that EEGs are not just for seizures.<\/p>\n