Expanding Access to Continuous EEG Monitoring in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Purpose: Neonatal seizures are common and difficult to identify clinically because the majority are subclinical and correct identification of electroclinical seizures based on semiology is unreliable. Therefore, continuous EEG monitoring (CEEG) is critical for seizure identification in neonates and is recommended as the gold standard method in American Clinical Neurophysiology Society guidelines. Despite these recommendations, barriers to implementing widespread CEEG exist. Methods: To expand access to CEEG for at-risk neonates, a framework for providing remote CEEG was established at two network hospital neonatal intensive care units. Utilization and clinical impact were tracked as a quality improvement study. Results: In a 27-month period from June 2017 through September 2019, 76 neonates underwent CEEG between the two network neonatal intensive care units. Electrographic seizures occurred in about one quarter of records (18/76; 24%), though their incidence varied by CEEG indication. Care notes indicated that CEEG impacted clinical care in three quarters of cases (57/76; 75%). Continuous EEG impacted decisions to treat with anti-seizure medications in approximately one half of patients (impact: 28/57 [49%]; no impact 29/57 [51%]), and CEEG impacted prognostic discussions in approximately two thirds of patients (impact: 39/57 [68%]; no impact 18/57 [32%]). Conclusions: Establishment of a remote CEEG program for neonates is feasible, effective at identifying seizures, and improves the quality of care provided to neonates hospitalized at these network hospitals.