What it looks like
No posterior dominant rhythm; the background is replaced by generalized, irregular theta and delta. This is the EEG signature of diffuse encephalopathy, and its degree follows the severity. 11
What it means at the bedside
The cause is not on the EEG: metabolic, septic, toxic, hypoxic, post-ictal, sedative. What the EEG adds is severity, reactivity to stimulation (preserved here, a favourable feature) and the exclusion of non-convulsive seizures.