Abstracts

Rationale: Changes in electroencephalography (EEG) patterns may offer the cause of altered mental status and suggest the proper treatment and assume prognoses of patients with such mental status. We aimed to identify the EEG patterns in patients with altered mental status and to correlate EEG findings with clinical prognosesMethods: We included 113 altered mental status patients who underwent EEG. EEG and clinical chart reviews with ongoing patient follow-ups were performed to determine the clinical prognosis of the patients. Clinical data were sorted by the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). The EEG findings were classified according to the method suggested by Scollo-Lavizzari. The EEGs were analyzed to see if any correlation existed with the prognoses of patients.Results: Specific EEG patterns were observed in 30 patients. Nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) was detected in four patients (3.5%) only. Thirty (26.5%) patients expired, and 47 (41.5%) patients were in a vegetative state. EEG grade and GCS significantly correlated with GOS. EEG grades alone had a correlation with GCS. Patients with a severe degree of EEG grades had a poor prognosis. Conclusions: EEG findings reflect the mental status of patients, and EEG grades show a correlation with the clinical prognosis of patients. It is helpful to objectively evaluate the consciousness of patients with EEG tests. It seems that more significant results can be obtained if many patients with diverse causes undergo EEG examination and monitoring.