Feasibility of Neurological Prognostication After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest with a Reduced Number of EEG Electrodes.

In this retrospective cohort, selected six- and two-channel EEG montages produced broadly comparable 12-month outcome predictions to the full montage. This is a feasibility result, not a stand-alone bedside rule.

Verboom M, Hunfeld M, Straver DCG, Buysse C, Jongbloed G, van den Berg R.
Resuscitation · Publication date: 2026-09-11
Added to site: 2026-09-18
DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2026.111307

First electronic publication date verified in PubMed and Europe PMC.

Modalities

EEG, QEEG

Clinical focus

Pediatric cardiac arrest, Prognostication, Reduced electrodes

Population

Children younger than 18 admitted to pediatric intensive care after in-hospital or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Sample

82 children; median age 3.5 years; 60% had poor 12-month functional outcome

Intervention / method

Visual and quantitative EEG at 24 hours after return of circulation, comparing all available electrodes with selected 6-channel and 2-channel bipolar montages

Comparator

Reduced montages compared with the full available montage

Clinician summary

Visual background agreement versus the full montage was substantial for six channels (κ 0.803) and two channels (κ 0.682). Patient-level qEEG model performance did not differ significantly across montages; continuity and amplitude were the most robust features.

How to interpret the findings

The study was retrospective, used one historical cohort with a high poor-outcome prevalence, and evaluated prediction rather than prospective clinical decisions. Reduced montages may miss focal information and require external validation before workflow substitution.

Equipment and disclosures

The accessible abstract does not identify the EEG hardware or acquisition system.

The authors declared no known competing financial interests or personal relationships. Funding was not available in the checked indexed record.

Related evidence

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