Monitoring of patients with brainstem hemorrhage: A simultaneous study of quantitative electroencephalography and transcranial Doppler.

OBJECTIVE

To explore whether quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) and transcranial Doppler (TCD) can be used to evaluate patients with acute severe brainstem hemorrhage (ASBH).

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled patients with ASBH and assessed their mortality at the 90-day follow-up. The patients' demographic data, serological data, and clinical factors were recorded. Quantitative brain function monitoring was performed using a TCD-QEEG recording system attached to the patient's bedside.

RESULTS

Thirty-one patients (55.3 ± 10.6 years; 17 men) were studied. Mortality at 90 days was at 61.3%. There was no significant difference in TCD-related parameters between the survival group and the death group (p > 0.05). Among the QEEG-related indexes, only the (delta + theta)/(alpha + beta) ratio (DTABR) (odds ratio 11.555, 95%confidence interval 1.413-94.503, p = 0.022) was an independent predictor of clinical outcome; the area under the ROC curve of DTABR was 0.921, cut-off point was 3.88, sensitivity was 79%, and specificity was 100%.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with ASBH, QEEG can effectively inform the clinical prognosis regarding 90-day mortality, while TCD cannot.

SIGNIFICANCE: QEEG shows promise for informing the mortality prognosis of patients with ASBH.