Neurology · 58 min ago
Delayed EEG linked to poorer outcomes in nonconvulsive status epilepticus
A cohort study of 163 adults with first-ever, EEG-confirmed nonconvulsive status epilepticus found that longer waits for EEG were associated with worse neurological function at discharge and higher two-year mortality. Outcomes were particularly poor when EEG was delayed more than 22.6 hours; the observational findings do not establish causation.
- 163 adults with first-ever, EEG-confirmed cases were studied.
- Median EEG wait was 11.7 hours.
- Longer waits were associated with poorer outcomes.
- Weekend mortality was highest where next-day EEG was unavailable.
A cohort study examined 163 adults in Denmark with first-ever nonconvulsive status epilepticus confirmed by EEG between 2008 and 2017. The researchers assessed the association between time to EEG and neurological function at discharge and mortality within two years. Median time to EEG was 11.7 hours.
Longer EEG delays were associated with worse neurological function at discharge (p<0.001) and higher two-year mortality (p=0.007). Outcomes were particularly poor when the wait exceeded 22.6 hours. Mortality was highest among patients admitted at weekends to hospitals without EEG available the following day; this increase was not observed at hospitals with EEG coverage throughout the week.
The findings highlight a possible link between access to acute EEG and outcomes in nonconvulsive status epilepticus, where seizures may be difficult to recognize clinically. However, this was an observational study, so it cannot show that delays caused the poorer outcomes. The report calls for broader acute EEG availability, but the results alone do not establish a specific service model or prove that expanding coverage will reduce mortality.
In practice
For adults with suspected nonconvulsive status epilepticus, this cohort supports the clinical importance of timely EEG access: among 163 patients, longer waits were associated with worse neurological function at discharge and higher mortality within two years. Weekend admissions had the highest mortality at hospitals without EEG available the next day, whereas this pattern was not found at hospitals with EEG coverage throughout the week. These observational associations do not prove that delay caused the outcomes or establish that expanding EEG coverage will improve them.
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Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening: Sen diagnostikk ved status epilepticus kan koste liv og helse ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.