PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG) IN ANOXIC ENCEPHALOPATHY AFTER CARDIOPULMONARY-RESUSCITATION - RELATIONSHIP AMONG ANOXIC PERIOD, EEG GRADING AND OUTCOME
S. Yamashita et al., PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG) IN ANOXIC ENCEPHALOPATHY AFTER CARDIOPULMONARY-RESUSCITATION - RELATIONSHIP AMONG ANOXIC PERIOD, EEG GRADING AND OUTCOME, Internal medicine, 34(2), 1995, pp. 71-76
We studied the prognostic applicability of electroencephalograms (EEGs
) of seventy-nine patients within 24 hours after successful cardiopulm
onary resuscitation. The EEGs were classified into five grades accordi
ng to a modified Hockaday's scale. The EEGs of grades I and II implied
full recovery, while those of grade III gave a varied but generally u
nfavorable prognosis. Patients with grades IV and V EEGs survived in a
vegetative condition or died without awakening. Eighteen patients sho
wed EEG with periodic patterns, all of which led to a fatal or vegetat
ive outcome. One case showed EEGs associated with periodic triphasic w
aves and repetitive sharp transients in the same record. Several cases
showed EEGs with different periodic patterns in consecutive records.
We conclude that an EEG is a good indicator of patient prognosis after
cardiopulmonary resuscitation. However, the clinical significance of
morphological differences of various periodic patterns that can occur
during an EEG remains to be established.