Open AccessArtifact in the Bispectral Index in a Patient with Severe Ischemic Brain Injury
Author(s) -
Paul S. Myles,
Sesto Cairo
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
anesthesia and analgesia/anesthesia and analgesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1526-7598
pISSN - 0003-2999
DOI - 10.1213/01.ane.0000099360.49186.6b
Subject(s) - medicine , bispectral index , artifact (error) , electroencephalography , anesthesia , ischemic injury , ischemia , burst suppression , ischemic stroke , cardiology , brain ischemia , neuroscience , psychiatry , sedation , biology
The electroencephalogram (EEG) has been used to predict neurological outcome in patients with anoxic-ischemic brain injury. The bispectral index (BIS) may be a useful alternative. A persistently low BIS associated with burst-suppression of the raw EEG in the setting of minimal hypnotic drug administration may indicate severe cerebral ischemia. We report a case where a patient with presumed ischemic brain injury and an extremely low BIS had an unexplained increase in BIS that could be attributed to electrocardiogram artifact. Care should be taken when interpreting BIS in the setting of anoxic-ischemic brain injury or brain death.