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Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy
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Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy

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Electrographic seizures in pediatric ICU patients: cohort study of risk factors and mortality

Nicholas S Abend1, Daniel H Arndt, Jessica L Carpenter

  • 1Department of Neurology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA. abend@email.chop.edu

Neurology
|June 25, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Electrographic seizures are common in pediatric intensive care units, affecting 30% of children. Risk factors include younger age and epilepsy diagnosis, with electrographic status epilepticus increasing mortality risk.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Intensive Care Medicine
  • Clinical Neurophysiology

Background:

  • Electrographic seizures are a significant concern in critically ill children.
  • Understanding their incidence and risk factors is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence of electrographic seizures in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients undergoing EEG monitoring.
  • Identify risk factors associated with these seizures.
  • Investigate the link between electrographic seizures and mortality.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 550 children across 11 North American PICUs.
  • Data collection included demographics, diagnoses, clinical seizures, EEG findings, and outcomes.
  • Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors.

Main Results:

  • Electrographic seizures occurred in 30% (162/550) of subjects.
  • Risk factors included younger age, prior clinical seizures, abnormal EEG background, and epilepsy diagnosis.
  • Electrographic status epilepticus (38% of seizure cases) was associated with increased in-hospital mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Electrographic seizures are prevalent in PICU children, especially those with identified risk factors.
  • Electrographic status epilepticus is common and linked to higher mortality.
  • Early identification and management of these seizures are critical.
Abstract

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