Proceedings of the 14th International Newborn Brain Conference: Neonatal Neurocritical Care, seizures, and continuous aEEG and /or EEG monitoring

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Seizures are more common during the neonatal period than at any other age, occurring at a rate of 1.10-5.5 per 1,000 live births. Neonatal seizures occur during the fi rst 30 days of postnatal life and constitute a neurological emergency requiring prompt recognition and treatment¹. Seizures in newborns differ in clinical appearance, electrographic characteristics, etiology, and management compared to seizures that occur at later stages of development². Thus, early recognition and treatment is essential in maintaining healthy outcomes for neonates³. However, there is widespread variability on how these are initially identifi ed, evaluated, and treated across neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) 4 . This study aimed to investigate the neonatal seizure treatment pathways employed by rural and non-rural Level II and III NICUs across the Midwest and Pacifi c Northwest to identify areas of consensus and variability. METHODS:In total, we contacted 301 Level II and III NICUs via an electronic survey. The survey collected information regarding the evaluation of neonatal seizures, anti-seizure medication availability, electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring methods, and if and how an offi cial treatment pathway for neonatal seizure patients was established at their institution. Survey results will be examined using descriptive analysis. RESULTS: With limited responses, preliminary resultsshow that only 19% of surveyed NICUs have an established pathway for treating neonatal seizures, and only 10% have