Electroencephalography in the Intensive Care Unit: A Technical Assessment

Abstract

Intensive Care Unit (ICU) clinicians currently rely onvisualcuesandvitalsignfluctuationsasameans of detecting non-convulsive seizures in their patients. It has been proposed that continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) monitoring be employed to examine ICU patients for non-convulsive seizures. A study conducted at Victoria General Hospital in Victoria, BC opted for a multi-channel cEEG monitoring system and overcame logistical, technical and financial challenges to permit the introduction of this unfamiliar technology into the ICU. Creating a working group that united experts with a vested interest in improving patient care was crucial to this study’s success.