Electroencephalographic Findings as Treatment Markers in Children with Subdural Effusion by Meningitis by Haemophilus influenzae  ^†

The electroencephalogram (EEG) plays an important role in the clinical follow-up of children affected by subdural effusion secondary to Haemophilus influenzae meningitis, contributing to the evaluation of brain function and to the monitoring of response to treatment. The objective of this study was to analyze the results of EEGs performed before and after the appropriate treatment of this complication, highlighting its relevance in clinical management. A sample of 45 EEG(s) of children between 6 months and 5 years old, treated at the University Hospital of Brasília (HUB) and at a private hospital, between 2010 and 2023, was analyzed. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Brasília (CAAE: 93128718.8.0000.5558). The results of the EEGs were evaluated in terms of the changes observed before and after the treatment of subdural effusion. EEG findings performed in patients before treatment included: Localized or asymmetric lymphification, correlated with the location of subdural effusion, in 25 cases (55%); Slow-based activity: 12 cases (26.6%); presence of generalized or secondarily generalized epileptiform activity: five cases (11.11%); normal tracing: three cases (6.6%). After adequate treatment of subdural effusion, EEG normalization was observed in 18 cases (40%) for localized or asymmetric slowing, nine cases (20%) for slow-based activity, and two cases (4.4%) for epileptiform activity. Electroencephalographic monitoring allows the identification of alterations that indicate therapeutic progress, contributing to the direction of medical conduct and potential reduction of neurological sequelae.