2018 Volume 30 Issue 3 Pages 242-250
Background and purpose: Many unconscious patients are transferred to emergency centers, and an electroencephalogram (EEG) is frequently used to identify the cause of unconsciousness. Our study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of an EEG in an emergency center. Objective and methods: Among patients admitted to a critical care center, between January and December 2016, we studied 68 patients (80 EEGs) who underwent EEGs. We investigated both the EEG purposes and examination findings. Result: The EEGs were performed to investigate long-lasting disturbance of consciousness in 24 patients, and to investigate the transient disturbance of consciousness in 13 patients. Follow-up EEGs were undertaken on 29 post-seizure patients, on nine patients with suspected stupor and on five patients for reasons unspecified. Examination results revealed 37 normal EEG findings and 43 EEGs indicated abnormal findings. Among the EEG patients, we found the cause of consciousness disorders in two patients (one patient with non-convulsive status epilepticus and one patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). Post-convulsion follow-up EEGs identified nine patients with a seizure-related paroxysmal discharge. Their antiepileptic medication was adjusted accordingly. The EEGs of nine patients with suspected stupor were normal, except in one patient. Conclusion: EEG is useful for evaluating diseases regarding disturbance of consciousness and adjusting antiepileptic drugs in emergency center.
