Emergent EEG: indications and diagnostic yield.
The authors reviewed the reports of all emergent EEG (EmEEG) performed in our hospital within 1 hour of the test being ordered over a period of 52 months. Two hundred sixty-one EmEEG (12.8% of all EEG) were performed. The most common reason to order the test was a change in mental status or coma (17.6%). Although EmEEG was ordered to rule out status epilepticus (SE) in 60.2% of cases, this diagnosis was made in only 10.7% of patients. The only independent predictor for SE was a history of cardiac or respiratory arrest (odds [95% CI], 6.8 [2.7 to 16.9]).
Varelas
P N
PN
Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA. pvarelas@mcw.edu
Spanaki
M V
MV
Hacein-Bey
L
L
Hether
T
T
Terranova
B
B
D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000175:diagnosis