Application of root cause analysis on long-range video EEG monitoring quality on epilepsy patients / 现代临床护理

Objective To study the quality and effect of root cause analysis (RCA) on long-range video EEG monitoring on epilepsy patients.Methods The process of RCA long-range video EEG monitoring on patients with epilepsy was investigated to find out the root causes for quality of epilepsy capturing from pseudo differential of EEG and video effects.Then the measures were taken to improve the quality of monitoring.Result After the intervention,except canmera not clear enough,the incidences were significantly decreased compared with pre-intervention (all P ＜ 0.001).Conclusions Root cause analysis is effective in improving the quality of long-range video EEG monitoring on epilepsy patients.It is worth clinically promoting.

Recurrent Syncope Triggered by Ictal Asystole

No abstract available.

Usefulness of video-EEG monitoring in paroxysmal nonepileptic events of children and adolescents / 소아과

PURPOSE: In addition to epileptic seizures (ES), a variety of physiologic, organic and psychogenic disorders can manifest as paroxysmal behavioral events. Paroxysmal nonepileptic events (PNEs) are quite encountered in infants, young children, and adolescents. In a substantial proportion of cases, a careful history and examination will elucidate their nature. However, in other cases, it is necessary to differentiate PNEs from ES by video-electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring. We report our experiences with PNEs in a group of children and adolescents who underwent video-EEG monitoring. METHODS: From September, 2004 to June, 2006, one hundred thirty patients were monitored in the Pediatric Epilepsy Monitoring Units of Korea University Guro and Ansan hospitals. Their hospital charts were reviewed and video records of these events were analyzed. We observed all patients after video- EEG monitoring for more than 3 months. RESULTS: Typical spells occurred during monitoring in 33 patients, not associated with a seizure pattern on EEG recordings. Two patients were diagnosed as frontal lobe epilepsy on basis of typical semiology and clinical characteristics, so 31 patients were documented to have PNEs finally. The mean age of patients was 7.2+/-5.8 years. The male to female ratio was 15 (48.4%) to 16 (51.6%). Among 31 patients, fifteen patients had associated disorders such as epilepsy, developmental delay, cerebral palsy, gastric ulcer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or depressive disorder. Somatoform disorder and factitious disorder was frequently seen in children more than 5 years old (P0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that video-EEG monitoring is an important diagnostic tool in the evaluation of paroxysmal behavioral events. With correct diagnosis of the PNEs, several unnecessary treatment could be avoided.

Postoperative Electroclinical Features in Epilepsy Patients With Seizures After Anteromesial Temporal Resection

BACKGROUND: Anteromesial temporal resection (AMTR) is well established as effective in patients with intractable mesial temporal epilepsy. However, little electroclinical information is available relevant to poor surgical outcome after AMTR. We examined the postoperative electroclinical features based on postoperative MRI and video-EEG monitoring (VEM) in patients with poor surgical outcome. METHODS: We reviewed clinical features and postoperative VEM results in 20 patients with failure in AMTR. According to the postoperative electroclinical features, we classified them into mesial temporal (MT), bitemporal (BT), extramesial temporal (XMT), combined (C), and unclassified groups. The postoperative VEM results were compared among the groups. Surgical outcome was assessed in five patients who underwent reoperation. RESULTS: Patients comprised 6 MT, 2 BT, 6 XMT, 1 C, and 6 unclassified. Aura and automatism were more frequent in MT (50.0%, 83.3%) than in XMT (16.7%, 33.3%). Theta to delta rhythm, during the ictal onset and build-up period, was more frequent in MT (83.3%, 66.7%) than in XMT (33.3%, 33.3%). The ictal onset and build-up pattern of ictal EEG were most frequently localized to the frontotemporal region in MT (66.7%, 100.0%), while there was no predominantly localized region in XMT. The surgical outcome after reoperation was better in MT group than in XMT and C groups. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative MRI and VEM are useful to assess the postoperative electroclinical features in failed AMTR. Reoperation of the residual mesiotemporal structures after confirming epileptogenic foci may have good surgical outcome.

The Role of Video-EEG Monitoring: Purpose and outcome / 대한간질학회지

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We performed this study to explore the various diagnostic roles of video-EEG monitoring (VEM) and to assess the outcome after VEM. METHODS: 1749 patients who underwent VEM in the adult epilepsy section were included. We classified purposes of VEM and assessed outcome after VEM or epilepsy surgery guided by VEM. The outcome was assessed according to seizure frequency during the previous 12 months from the day of follow-up evaluation. RESULTS: The purposes of VEM were presurgical evaluation (68.5%), confirmation of epilepsy (15%), classification of seizures (9.4%), diagnosis of pseudoseizures (5.5%), and detection of nonconvulsive status epilepticus (1.7%). The efficiency of VEM was 89.2%, highest for presurgical evaluation (97.1%) and lowest for confirmation of seizures (66.0%). The number of events detected and the number of days needed differed according to the purposes of VEM. Epilepsy surgery was performed in 629 patients. The outcome of patients with epilepsy surgery was significantly better compared with patients without surgery despite presurgical evaluation (p<0.0001). Various other illnesses with transient symptoms as well as various epileptic syndromes were diagnosed by VEM. Better outcomes were observed in patients in whom VEM was used for classification and confirmation of seizures compared with patients in whom VEM was used for presurgical evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: VEM is a useful tool for various purposes. The efficiency, number of events and days of VEM differed according to the purposes. Patient outcome was also dependent on the purpose of the VEM as well as on treatment modalities.

The Clinical and Electroencephalographic Characteristics of Hypomotor Seizures in Children / 대한소아신경학회지

PURPOSE: A hypomotor seizure is a useful descriptive terminology, but its clinical and ictal characteristics are not fully understood. We investigated the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of hypomotor seizures in children. METHODS: We reviewed 394 video-taped recordings, performed between Dec. 1994 and Feb. 2003., to select patients of hypomotor seizures. Exclusion criteria were as follows; i) hypomotor seizures accompanied with other types of seizures in a single event, ii) patients without neurocognitive dysfunctions who were older than 3 years old, iii) non-convulsive status epilepticus, iv) poor video quality. A total of 329 hypomotor seizures from 42 patients (M:F=27:15) were included. The mean age of onset was 1.9 years old, the mean age at the monitoring 4.5 years old, and the mean duration of follow-ups 3.9 years. RESULTS: Thirteen patients (31%) showed generalized onset, hypomotor seizures while 29 patients (69%) showed partial onset hypomotor seizures. 35 patients (83.3%) had neurocognitive deficits. Significant abnormalities in the on brain MRIs were revealed in 23 patients (54.8 %). The concordance rates of interictal epileptiform discharges were 29.0%. In 8 patients, (hypomotor seizures were separately accompanied by other types of seizures (19.0%)). Comparing generalized seizures (group 1) with partial seizures (group 2), there were no significant differences in the clinical parameters between the two groups. In brain MRIs, group 2 tended to have focal lesions. On the analysis of ictal rhythms in group 1, diffuse spike and wave discharges were noted in 8 patients, rhythmic beta in 2 patients, semirhythmic theta in 1 patient, diffuse attenuation of the background in 1 patient, and bilateral beta in 1 patient. Among 5 patients with ictal rhythms other than diffuse spike and wave discharges, 4 patients were younger than 3 years old. On the analysis in group 2, rhythmic ictal patterns were noted in 24 patients (82.8%), seimirhythmic in 2 patients (6.9%), and irregular in 3 patients (10.3%). The distribution of ictal frequencies was as follows:alpha in 3 (10.3%), beta in 4 (13.8%), theta in 10 (34.5%), delta in 4 (13.8%), repetitive spikes or sharp waves in 5 (17.3%), and spikes and waves in 3 (10.3%). Rhythmic beta patterns tended to be localized into the posterior quadrant. CONCLUSION: Hypomotor seizures consist of generalized-onset (31%) and partial-onset (69 %). No clinical parameters can predict the ictal patterns. Various patterns in patients with generalized onset hypomotor seizures under 3 years old may suggest different mechanisms of generalized hypomotor seizures from absence seizures. Rhythmic beta patterns from the posterior quadrant may suggest the localization-specific ictal patterns.

Orientações ao paciente epiléptico submetido ao vídeo-eletrencefalograma: comparação dos níveis de ansiedade com o uso de diferentes estratégias / Orientations to epileptic patient undergoing a video-EEG monitoring: comparison of anxiety levels using different strategies

Trata-se de um estudo experimental, correlacional, com abordagem quantitativa que compara os níveis de ansiedade de dois grupos de pacientes epilépticos submetidos ao vídeo-eletrencefalograma (vídeo-EEG) que tiveram diferentes estratégias de orientação para o exame; o controle teve apenas orientações verbais e o experimental, além das orientações verbais, também, recebeu um manual de orientações, variável independente do estudo. A amostra foi, aleatoriamente, composta por dois grupos de 30 pacientes. Para avaliar o uso de diferentes estratégias de orientação, foi comparada a ansiedade dos grupos, por meio da aplicação do Inventário de Ansiedade Traço-Estado (IDATE), sendo o estado de ansiedade, avaliado pré e pós-exame. Os resultados mostraram que o grupo experimental apresentou perfil de ansiedade superior, porém, estado de ansiedade inferior, antes do exame, em relação ao controle. A ansiedade do grupo experimental foi mais baixa, antes do exame do que seu perfil, entretanto, o mesmo não ocorreu com o grupo controle. Após o exame, a grande maioria de ambos os grupos apresentou ansiedade baixa e menor que seu perfil. A estratégia de orientação com o manual parece ter beneficiado os pacientes que o receberam, promovendo a redução da ansiedade antes do exame ser realizado.

This exploratory, correlated and quantitative study had the objective to identify and compare the anxiety level between two groups of epileptic patients undergoing a video-EEG monitoring using different patients guidelines strategies. The random sample was composed by two groups of 30 patients each one. The control group only had verbal orientations and the experimental group, beyond the same orientations received a written guide (a booklet) with all the procedures too. The anxiety was assessed using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T and STAI-S) with the STAI-S being applied for both groups before and after examination as described above. The results demonstrated that, before video-EEG, the anxiety-trait score of the experimental group was higher and the anxiety-state was lower than the control group. After video-EEG, the majority of both groups demonstrated low anxiety-state score and lower than their anxiety-trait score. The strategy used with the written guide associated to verbal orientations seems to help to reduce the anxiety level before the video-EEG.

A Case of Suspected Autosomal Dominant Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy / 대한소아신경학회지

Autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy(ADNFLE) is a recently identified partial epilepsy. This disorder is characterized by a variable age of onset(mostly in childhood), autosomal dominant inheritance, clusters of brief frontal nocturnal seizures, negative findings on neuroimaging, and fairly good prognosis. Carbamazepine is known to be the most useful drug in this type of epilepsy. We experienced a case of 5-year-old boy who had unusual arousal and irritability every night for 3 years and had sharp & wave discharges from frontal lobe region in long-term video-EEG monitoring, who was suspected as an autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy. We report a case with a brief review of literatures.