Purpose of review
To discuss the use of continuous video-electroencephalographic (cEEG) monitoring among critically ill children at risk for electrographic
seizures and
status epilepticus.
Recent findings
Recent reports have demonstrated the growing, but heterogeneous, use of cEEG monitoring among North American pediatric institutions, and provided evidence for the high prevalence of subclinical
seizures, particularly among encephalopathic patients with acute brain injury. Increasing seizure burden and
status epilepticus have been shown to be independently associated with worse short-term and long-term outcomes.
Summary
Certain high-risk children frequently experience electrographic
seizures and
status epilepticus, often without clinical signs, necessitating the use of cEEG monitoring for their diagnosis and management. Although an increasing electrographic seizure burden and
status epilepticus are independently associated with worse outcome, further studies are needed to determine whether aggressive use of antiepileptic drugs to reduce seizure burden can improve outcome.
