Table 1.
Clinical, laboratory characteristics and EEG findings in the 19 patients with COVID-19.
| Pt | Gender / age (years) | Primary and secondary diagnoses | Comorbidities | SOFA at EEG (0–24) | Peak serum urea (mmol/L) | Peak D-dimer (mg/L) | Sedation at EEG† | EEG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main rhythms / max voltage | Cycling / Reactivity** | ||||||||
| 1 | M / 37 | COVID-19 pneumonitis + sepsis | None reported | 10 | 37.6 | 29.4 | - | AC pattern | See table 2 |
| 2 | M / 47 | COVID-19 pneumonitis | End stage renal failure (on dialysis), hypertension, DM | 10 | 38.3 | 21.9 | - | AC pattern | See table 2 |
| 3 | F / 69* | COVID-19 pneumonitis | None reported | 11 | 39.8 | 80.0 | - | AC pattern | See table 2 |
| 4 | F / 67* | COVID-19 pneumonitis | None reported | 10 | 42.5 | 46.3 | - | AC pattern | See table 2 |
| 5 | F / 53* | COVID-19 pneumonitis | Hypertension, DM | 10 | 38.6 | 63.7 | - | δ, slow θ / 40–50 µV; also AC pattern | Yes / Yes See table 2 |
| 6 | M / 38* | COVID-19 pneumonitis + seizures*** + sepsis | None reported | 19 | 36.2 | 56.5 | Propofol Fentanyl | δ, θ / 20–25 µV | No / No |
| 7 | M / 67 | COVID-19 pneumonitis + seizures + SAH | Hypertension, chronic kidney disease, DM, transient ischaemic attack | 15 | 58.1 | 80.0 | Propofol Fentanyl | δ, θ / 30 µV | Yes / Yes |
| 8 | F / 67* | COVID-19 pneumonitis + multiple cerebral infarcts | End stage renal failure (on dialysis) | 14 | 40.1 | 80.0 | - | θ, δ, a / 25 µV | Yes / Yes |
| 9 | M / 51* | COVID-19 pneumonitis + sepsis + multiple cerebral infarcts | None reported | 10 | 51.6 | 80.0 | - | δ, some θ / 60 µV | Yes / Yes |
| 10 | M / 52 | COVID-19 pneumonitis + multiple cerebral infarcts + in-hospital cardiac arrest | None reported | 12 | 16.6 | 67.0 | - | δ alternating with periods of θ and a / 20–30 µV | Yes / paradoxical to diffuse δ) |
| 11 | F / 43* | COVID-19 pneumonitis | Asthma, DM | 4 | 35.2 | 4.2 | - | θ, a and δ / 60 µV | Yes / Yes |
| 12 | M / 51 | COVID-19 pneumonitis + left MCA territory infarct | Hypertension | 14 | 44.7 | 24.0 | - | δ, θ / 60 µV | No / No |
| 13 | M / 64 | COVID-19 pneumonitis + sepsis | None reported | 17 | 43.9 | 36.2 | - | δ, θ/ 10–15 µV | No / No |
| 14 | M / 63 | COVID-19 pneumonitis + in-hospital cardiac arrest | Asthma | 11 | 28.4 | 80.0 | - | Electrocerebral silence | NA |
| 15 | M / 43* | COVID-19 pneumonitis | None reported | 3 | 18.0 | 2.6 | - | Normal | |
| 16 | F / 90 | Delirium + COVID-19 infection | Vascular dementia, DM, atrial fibrillation, depression | 1 | 4.5 | Not done | Never on sedation | θ, some δ / 30 µV | Yes / Arousal to faster |
| 17 | F / 55* | Seizures*** + COVID-19 infection | HIV encephalopathy | 6 | 8.4 | 3.7 | Propofol Fentanyl | θ, a, some δ / 45–50 µV | Yes / Yes |
| 18 | M / 52* | COVID-19 pneumonitis + seizures | HIV encephalopathy | 2 | 10.6 | 12.0 | - | θ, a, some frontal δ / 20–30 µV | Yes / Arousal to faster |
| 19 | M / 49* | COVID-19 pneumonitis | Autism, DM | 5 | 53.3 | Not done | - | θ, a some δ / 30–40 µV | Yes / Arousal to faster |
| Median | 10 | 38.3 | 46.3 | ||||||
| IQR | 5.5–13 | 23.2–43.2 | 21.9–80 | ||||||
EEG: electroencephalography; COVID-19: Coronavirus Disease 2019; SOFA: Sepsis–related Organ Failure Assessment score; M: males; F: females; †: for time off sedation in the individual patients, see Supplementary Table 1; AC: alpha coma; DM: diabetes mellitus; SAH: sub-arachnoid haemorrhage; MCA: middle cerebral artery; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; IQR = interquartile range; *: these eleven patients were from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority (BAME) backgrounds. All other patients were Caucasian; **: to lower voltage faster activities with the exception of patient 10; ***: Patients 6 and 17 had serial seizures on admission. All four patients with seizures were on anti-seizure treatment (Levetiracetam). Seizures were also suspected in patients 15, 16 and 19 (see text); a, θ and δ refer to the alpha, theta and delta EEG rhythms respectively.