DuraEEG - Duration of EEG and Treatment Outcomes in Critical Care

DuraEEG - Duration of EEG and Treatment Outcomes in Critical Care

The aim of this retrospective, observational, single-center study is to evaluate how electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring duration affects diagnosis and treatment in adult critical care patients.

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a diagnostic tool that records the brain's real-time electrical activity, helping detect or rule out causes of altered mental or neurological status, including life-threatening emergencies such as status epilepticus or encephalopathies. EEG can be performed as short "Spot-EEG" sessions or continuously over several days using continuous video EEG monitoring (CVEM). Prolonged EEG recordings can increase the detection of epileptic seizures or nonconvulsive status epilepticus, although previous studies have not shown a clear effect on patient outcomes. EEG findings guide treatment decisions, including starting, adjusting, or stopping therapies, and inform investigations and interventions in conditions such as encephalopathy or after cardiac arrest.

This retrospective, observational, single-center cohort study aims to identify the EEG duration that balances the benefits of detecting therapy-relevant events with the risks, resource requirements, and potential complications of prolonged monitoring.

The results of this study may help improve individualized patient care, optimize EEG use in intensive care, and guide treatment and monitoring strategies to achieve better outcomes for critically ill patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patients (i.e., patients ≥18 years of age)
• Received an EEG/continuous EEG
• Treated at the University Hospital of Basel on a suitable monitoring unit from 01.01.2014 - 28.02.2025.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients younger than 18 years
• Patients who did not receive suitable EEG monitoring
• Patients with documented refusal of the general consent