Favorable outcome from alpha coma in a 15-year-old with traumatic brain injury

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Mordekar, Santosh R. | Prasad, Manish | Smith, Nigel J. | Vyas, Harish | Ross, Caroline | Jaspan, Timothy | Whitehouse, William P.

Affiliations: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield, UK | Department of Pediatric Neurology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK | Department of Pediatric Intensive Care, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK | Department of Pediatric Neurology, Leicester Royal infirmary, Leicester, UK | Department of Pediatric Neuroradiology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK | Departments of Pediatric Neurology, Academic Division of Child Health, University of Nottingham and Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK

Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Santosh R. Mordekar, Consultant Pediatric Neurologist, Ryegate Children's Centre Tapton Crescent, Sheffield S10 5DD, UK. Tel.: +44 114 2260675; Fax: +44 114 2678296; E-mail: santosh.mordekar@sch.nhs.uk

Abstract: The presence of an alpha pattern on electroencephalography is well described in patients with coma following trauma, hypoxia, metabolic dysfunction and cardiorespiratory arrest. This is generally regarded as an adverse prognostic factor especially the non-reactive complete form. We report a 15-year-old girl with complete alpha coma following head injury, who subsequently made a good physical recovery. We believe that this case should help pediatric neurologists, intensivists and neurophysiologists in the future, who have to make difficult management decisions and will inform their discussions with the child's parents or guardians.

Keywords: Traumatic brain injury, EEG, alpha coma, prognosis, BAEP

DOI: 10.3233/JPN-2012-0545

Journal: Journal of Pediatric Neurology, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 137-141, 2012