Visual analysis of EEG background and reactivity during therapeutic hypothermia provides important outcome information, but is time-consuming and not always consistent between reviewers. An automated EEG analysis approach may help to quantify the brain damage. Fortysix comatose patients in therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest were included in the study. EEG background was quantified with burst-suppression ratio and approximate entropy, both used to monitor anesthesia. Reactivity was detected through change in the power spectrum of signal before and after stimulation. Automatic results obtained almost perfect agreement (discontinuity) to substantial agreement (background reactivity) with a visual score from EEGcertified neurologists. Burst-suppression ratio was more suited to distinguish continuous EEG background from burst-suppression than approximate entropy in this specific population. Automatic EEG background and reactivity measures were significantly related to good and poor outcome. We conclude that quantitative EEG measurements can provide promising information regarding current state of the patient and clinical outcome, but further work is needed before a routine application in a clinical setting.