Important Issues in Coma and Neuromonitoring

Abstract

Coma is defined as a state of unconsciousness and lack of response to noxious stimuli. The physiopathology of consciousness and coma is not entirely understood. On the other hand, clinical examination does not give us enough information in all types of coma states. In this chapter, some types of coma and their definition, the necessity of coma monitoring and what we can use for coma monitoring in ICU, algorithms for EEG monitoring, BIS, AppEntropy, permutation entropy and auditory evoked potentials are described. Burst suppression state new theories and cortical connectivity and reactivity during coma as a tool for coma prognosis will be on focus.