[Evoked potentials in comatose children]

Auditory and somatosensory EPS obtained after median nerve stimulation are an interesting approach for the central nervous system investigation. However, there are some problems of interpretation during the first year of life, related to the maturation of the nervous system. We studied 20 severely comatose children aged 8 months to 15 years, admitted in an intensive care unit. Most of them were intubated, mechanically ventilated and received high doses of barbiturates. Coma was related to severe head injury, meningitis, encephalitis, Reye syndrome, malignant hyperthermia, cerebral lymphoma. Normal EP are correlated with a good recovery. Patients with abnormal EP may die or exhibit neurological sequelae. The absence of somatosensory EP is correlated with a bad outcome and is generally related to cerebral oedema. Appreciation of the prognosis in comatose children may be improved by repeated determination of auditory and somatosensory EP.