Perioperative abnormal electroencephalography in a later-stage elderly with septic shock: a case report

Patients with sepsis often exhibit abnormal patterns of electroencephalogram (EEG). We report an abnormal EEG pattern in a later-stage elderly patient with septic shock and EEG analysis results.

An 88-year-old woman with bowel perforation underwent emergency Hartmann surgery. On admission to the operating room, she exhibited septic shock. Her bispectral index value was 30 before anesthesia induction, and the EEG displayed slow waves without burst and suppression throughout the surgery. The relative slow-wave ratio [spectral power (0.5-8 Hz)/(0.5-30 Hz)] from anesthetic induction to the end of surgery was 95.1%, whereas the relative alpha frequency [spectral power (8-13 Hz)/(0.5-30 Hz)] was only 2.4%. Although without preoperative neurological abnormalities, she developed postoperative delirium after admission to the intensive care unit.

Intraoperative continuous EEG monitoring in elderly patients with sepsis may be useful to predict sepsis-associated encephalopathy. Therefore, continuous EEG monitoring may improve neurological outcomes.