Medical Student Research Forum Posters

Electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring has the potential to become a robust tool to characterize anesthetic depth. The goal is to develop a streamlined neuromonitoring tool that would allow clinicians to make real-time assessments and to titrate anesthetic delivery. Anesthetic overdosing can cause postoperative delirium and mortality, while underdosing can cause intraoperative awareness and pain. Of particular interest is excessively deep anesthesia, which is reflected by a burst suppression pattern on EEG monitors. Fortunately, proprietary algorithms have been developed to transform the raw EEG waveforms into a dimensionless number that quantifies the patient’s level of consciousness. Examples of these monitors are the Bispectral Index (BIS) monitor and the Sedline monitor which produces patient state index (PSI) values.

Question: How do the PSI (SedLine) and BIS perform in the setting of imminent burst suppression during general anesthesia?