Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26865516›Full record

Trial reportNeurology2016

Standardized EEG interpretation accurately predicts prognosis after cardiac arrest.

Erik Westhall, Andrea O Rossetti, Anne-Fleur van Rootselaar, Troels Wesenberg Kjaer, Janneke Horn, Susann Ullén, Hans Friberg, Niklas Nielsen, Ingmar Rosén, Anders Åneman and 13 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Neurology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 159 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
159citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

159 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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99 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

23 authors.

Erik WesthallAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article. erik.westhall@med.lu.se.
Andrea O RossettiAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Anne-Fleur van RootselaarAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Troels Wesenberg KjaerAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Janneke HornAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Susann UllénAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Hans FribergAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Niklas NielsenAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Ingmar RosénAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Anders ÅnemanAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
David ErlingeAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Yvan GascheAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Christian HassagerAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Jan HovdenesAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Jesper KjaergaardAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Michael KuiperAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Tommaso PellisAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Pascal StammetAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Michael WanscherAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Jørn WetterslevAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Matt P WiseAuthors' affiliations are listed at the end of the article.
Tobias Cronberg
TTM-trial investigators

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo identify reliable predictors of outcome in comatose patients after cardiac arrest using a single routine EEG and standardized interpretation according to the terminology proposed by the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society.

methodsIn this cohort study, 4 EEG specialists, blinded to outcome, evaluated prospectively recorded EEGs in the Target Temperature Management trial (TTM trial) that randomized patients to 33°C vs 36°C. Routine EEG was performed in patients still comatose after rewarming. EEGs were classified into highly malignant (suppression, suppression with periodic discharges, burst-suppression), malignant (periodic or rhythmic patterns, pathological or nonreactive background), and benign EEG (absence of malignant features). Poor outcome was defined as best Cerebral Performance Category score 3-5 until 180 days.

resultsEight TTM sites randomized 202 patients. EEGs were recorded in 103 patients at a median 77 hours after cardiac arrest; 37% had a highly malignant EEG and all had a poor outcome (specificity 100%, sensitivity 50%). Any malignant EEG feature had a low specificity to predict poor prognosis (48%) but if 2 malignant EEG features were present specificity increased to 96% (p < 0.001). Specificity and sensitivity were not significantly affected by targeted temperature or sedation. A benign EEG was found in 1% of the patients with a poor outcome.

conclusionsHighly malignant EEG after rewarming reliably predicted poor outcome in half of patients without false predictions. An isolated finding of a single malignant feature did not predict poor outcome whereas a benign EEG was highly predictive of a good outcome.

Indexed as

ElectroencephalographyAgedAnticonvulsantsBody TemperatureBrainComorbidityFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHeart ArrestHumansHypnotics and SedativesHypothermia, InducedMalePrognosisSeizuresSensitivity and SpecificityAnticonvulsantsHypnotics and Sedatives

Identifiers

PMID26865516
PMCPMC4836886

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.