The Value of Electroencephalogram (EEG) Findings in the Evaluation and Treatment Management of Pediatric Acute Liver Failure

Abstract

BackgroundPediatric acute liver failure (PALF) is still life-threatening and requires urgent care. The presence of encephalopathy is a clinical diagnosis, but it is more difficult to diagnose in children than in adults, and an electroencephalogram (EEG) can be invaluable. The role of EEG in managing the treatment of patients with PALF, other than the identification of encephalopathy, is unknown. This study aimed to investigate patients' EEGs, which may guide in choosing the most appropriate treatment in encephalopathy children. A further aim was to investigate a new score method, based on the laboratory results, which might indicate the presence of encephalopathy in cases with PALF. MethodsMedical data of 33 PALF patients followed in our clinic were reviewed retrospectively. This study included 33 patients, whose EEG recording was taken on the first day of supportive treatment due to liver failure in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The EEG findings were categorized into three classes: normal, epileptic and non-epileptic paroxysmal, and background encephalopathic patterns including widespread slowing and voltage suppression. ResultThis retrospective study included 13 male and 20 female patients with a mean age at presentation of 4.82±4.81 months whose EEG was performed on the first day of supportive therapy for liver failure in the PICU. The EEG findings were categorized into three groups: normal, epileptic and non-epileptic paroxysms, and encephalopathic patterns including diffuse background slowing and voltage suppression. Comparing EEG findings and treatments, we found that the normal EEG group responded well to liver-supporting therapy and the rate of plasmapheresis treatment was significantly higher in the diffuse slowing group. Patients with diffuse slowing of the EEG were 9.6 times more likely to receive plasmapheresis. We found that above a cut-off of ≥7.5 for the TAI (total bilirubin, albumin, and international normalized ratio (INR)) score used in our study, the risk of developing encephalopathy increased 14.4-fold. ConclusionsIn PALF, EEG findings can provide findings that will help clinicians in determining treatment selection and prognosis, as well as detecting epileptic focus and encephalopathy. The TAI score can be used to assess the risk of encephalopathy in cases of PALF, when it is challenging to identify encephalopathy or when an EEG is not possible.