Effects of the primary disease and metabolic conditions on eeg in the patients followed in neurological intensive care Unit between 2010 and 2013

Electroencephalography (EEG) is still being used as a very important adjuvant diagnostic modality in evaluating the patients with stupor and coma despite substantial advances in neuro-imaging. Routine electroencephalography (EEG) is a neurophysiological investigation for which several provocative methods are used such as 5 to 6 times eye opening-closing for 30 minutes during the interictal period, hyperventilation for 3 – 4 minutes, or intermittent photic stimulation at low and high frequencies. This investigation has high sensitivity and specificity for the clinical conditions presenting with altered conscious. Several quantitative features increased value of using EEF such as increasing duration of the investigation, integrating feature of video-imaging, activating intragrid-epidural-subdural electrodes, multiple canal numbers, and using the possibility of spectral examination. Elevation (blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, potassium, chloride, sodium) or reduction (calcium, albumin, hematocrit, carbon dioxide, PO4--) correlates directly with abnormal EEG. In the present study, we compared EEG findings with electrolytes, renal and hepatic function tests, hematocrit, and blood glucose level. We investigated place of video monitoring for these clinical condition. In conclusion, we believe that EEG has not gained the importance it deserves currently for the patients with altered conscious. Compared to routine EEG, long-term video EEG monitoring offers much more contribution. Thus, routine EEG or long-term video monitoring EEG, if possible, should be performed in all cases showing impairment or alteration of conscious during monitoring in the intensive care unit.