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Journal of Pediatric Neurology 2012; 10(02): 137-141
DOI: 10.3233/JPN-2012-0545
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart – New York

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

Santosh R. Mordekar
a   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield, UK
,
Manish Prasad
b   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
,
Nigel J. Smith
b   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
,
Harish Vyas
c   Department of Pediatric Intensive Care, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
,
Caroline Ross
d   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Leicester Royal infirmary, Leicester, UK
,
Timothy Jaspan
e   Department of Pediatric Neuroradiology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
,
William P. Whitehouse
f   Departments of Pediatric Neurology, Academic Division of Child Health, University of Nottingham and Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
› Author Affiliations
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Publication History

13 June 2011

10 October 2011

Publication Date:
30 July 2015 (online)

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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