Seizures following burns of the skin. III. Electroencephalographic recordings

EEGs were recorded on 40 burned (acute) patients during their hospitalization. Abnormal records were seen in 88% of the 49 records, all showing slow waves and nearly 10% with epileptiform activity. EEG abnormality seems related to the combination of total body surface burned and time after burn and is maximal not immediately after the burn, but within 3-11 days after the trauma when hyperventilation, hypopotassemia and deaths tend to occur. EEGs were also recorded on 27 (chronic) patients, 17 with seizures and 10 others with cognitive behavior disorders. All showed an abnormal EEG. Patients with seizures showed slow waves in 82% of cases, often diffuse, usually more marked than those seen in the cognitive behavior disorders; 41% of patients with seizures showed epileptiform activity. Patients with cognitive behavior disorders showed slow waves abnormalities, usually mild in degree of severity; positive spikes were found in patients specifically with a behavior disorder.