Seizure detection with a commercially available bedside EEG monitor and the subhairline montage.
BACKGROUND
Availability of standard, continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) monitoring in ICU is very limited, although commercially available 4-channel modules are present in many ICUs. We investigated the sensitivity of such modules compared with the more complete monitoring with a standard EEG system.


METHODS
Seventy patients at high risk of seizures in the medical-surgical intensive care unit and Epilepsy Monitoring Unit were recorded simultaneously for at least 24 h with a 4-channel commercial ICU bedside monitoring system (Datex-Ohmeda) with a subhairline montage and a standard EEG machine (XLTEK) using the international 10-20 system of electrode placement. Recordings were interpreted independently from each other.


RESULTS
The 4-channel recordings demonstrated a sensitivity of 68 and 98% specificity for seizure detection, and a sensitivity of 39% and a specificity of 92% for detection of spikes and PLEDs.


CONCLUSIONS
The 4-channel EEG module has limited but practical usefulness for seizure detection when standard cEEG monitoring is not available.
Young
G Bryan
GB
Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, Room B10-106, University Hospital, 339 Windermere Rd, London, Ontario, N6A 5A5, Canada. bryan.young@lhsc.on.ca
Sharpe
Michael D
MD
Savard
Martin
M
Al Thenayan
Eyad
E
Norton
Loretta
L
Davies-Schinkel
Corrine
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D004566:Electrodes; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005546:Forehead; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D055815:Young Adult