[Continous EEG monitoring in patients with severe brain damage of indistinct value]

In patients suffering from primary acute brain insults, up to 50 % risk epileptical seizures, with deteriorated neurological outcome and raised mortality rate. Continuous EEG registration (cEEG) is proposed but the evidence is unclear. A structured search in Pubmed resulted in 16 observational studies including 943 adult patients suffering from traumatic or cerebrovascular brain insults observed with cEEG. The presentation of definitions, variables and results was remarkably disparate. The evidence regarding detection of epileptic activity as well as correlation with mortality is very low. Disturbed sleeping patterns  correlated with deteriorated neurological functional outcome, but the therapeutic implication is unclear. The value of cEEG in adult patients suffering from primary brain insults is indistinct with a very low evidence grade . Further prospective and standardized studies are needed.