Point-of-care EEG in the Pediatric Emergency Department: a Systematic Review

Overview

Journal Eur J Pediatr

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2025 Mar 7

PMID 40053132

Authors

Leopold Simma

Anna Kammerl

Georgia Ramantani

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Conclusion: Despite some implementation challenges, pocEEG has shown sufficient accuracy for clinical use. Further research should focus on optimizing EEG montages, refining interpretation, and assessing its impact on patient outcomes. This review underscores the potential of pocEEG to address critical care needs in pediatric emergency departments and calls for larger, standardized studies.

What Is Known: • Central nervous system (CNS) disorders, such as seizures and altered mental status, are common and critical conditions encountered in pediatric emergency resuscitation bays. • EEG is essential for diagnosing nonconvulsive status epilepticus, but standard EEG is often unavailable in emergency departments due to logistical challenges, limited resources, and the need for specialized interpretation.

What Is New: • Reduced-lead, point-of-care EEG (pocEEG) is a feasible alternative for real-time bedside CNS monitoring in pediatric emergency settings, aiding in the diagnosis of nonconvulsive status epilepticus and guiding the management of convulsive status epilepticus. • This systematic review highlights the feasibility and clinical potential of pocEEG in pediatric emergency departments and identifies key areas for further research, including the development of standardized pocEEG protocols and the integration of automated EEG analysis.

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