Staffing Considerations for ICU EEG Monitoring

EEG monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting has been in existence for many years. Decades ago, early paper EEG acquisition units were lumbered up to the ICU bedside for intermittent recording, averaging 10 min per hour. However, EEG monitoring was used sparingly due to limitations in equipment, data storage, and staffing resources. Fortunately, EEG technology has changed significantly since the initial recording by Hans Berger in 1929 [1]. Computers have allowed for smaller recording systems, and digital storage has grown to where a significant amount of EEG and digital video can be stored in a negligible amount of space [2]. Processing power has developed to allow for computation and display of multiple “trends” of quantitative EEG (qEEG) while data network capabilities permit real time, remote viewing of patient EEG and video data. By early 2000, panel PC-based EEG systems dedicated and designed for the ICU environment became available [3].