title: Prognostic value of EEG in post-anoxic coma after cardiac arrest.
abstract: The authors themselves studied 26 patients. The EEGs were classified in terms of increasing severity in 5 categories. Incorporating over 400 cases from the literature, the authors correlated the initial EEG findings with the clinical outcome following cardiac arrest. Grade I EEG findings (normal alpha with theta-delta activity) imply a very good prognosis. A complete remission can be expected in most cases. Grade II (dominant theta-delta activity with detectable normal alpha) and grade III (dominant theta-delta activity without detectable normal alpha) findings have no definite prognosis. Grade IV [low-voltage delta, possibly with short isoelectric intervals; dominant, monomorphic, non-reactive alpha-activity (alpha coma); periodic generalized phenomena (spikes, sharp waves, slow waves with very low background activity)] and grade V (very flat to isoelectric EEG) findings have a very serious prognosis.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003128:Coma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012151:Resuscitation