Ep. 178: Interpreting emergency EEG in suspected non-convulsive status epilepticus

Moderator: Justyna Paprocka (Katowice, Poland) Guests: Stephan Rüegg (Basel, Switzerland), Markus Leitinger (Salzburg, Austria)

In this episode, Justyna Paprocka welcomes Stefan Rüegg and Markus Leitinger to examine how clinicians can approach emergency EEG in suspected non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE). They discuss NCSE epidemiology, the importance of continuous EEG, and the use of structured diagnostic frameworks including the Salzburg criteria and the 2HELPS2B score. The conversation highlights practical strategies such as IV anti-seizure medication trials, pitfalls in benzodiazepine use, and the complexities of distinguishing NCSE from encephalopathy. The experts also address EEG interpretation in post-anoxic patients and recommend foundational literature for early-career neurologists.