A retrospective cross-sectional study found that despite the fact that continuing electroencephalography (cEEG) use was associated with lower in-hospital mortality in critically ill patients, cEEG is underutilized. Experts in critical care said the expense of the equipment and a dearth of professionals trained to use it properly are among the reasons why the assessment tool is underused. Continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) may be a useful tool to monitor and assess brain function in critically ill patients, including those with status epilepticus, cerebral ischemia, disorders of consciousness, and cardiac arrest, but it remains vastly underused. In a retrospective cross-sectional study, a team of investigators in the University of Pennsylvania’s department of neurology analyzed patterns of cEEG use from 2004 to 2013, finding a greater than tenfold increase in its utilization for critically ill patients over that time.

Read More