Guaranteeing Quality in the Diagnosis of Electrocerebral Silence

The quality of the EEG signal is important for the proper diagnosis of electrocerebral silence (ECS). Noise in the EEG signals makes difficult the formation of a precise diagnosis concerning the existence of cerebral activity in patients who are considered to be in potential cerebral death. In an attempt to guarantee the quality of the diagnosis of ECS, a study was performed at a public hospital in Brazil applying the health care failure and effect analysis (HFMEA) technique. Through this study, problems that interfere with the quality of the EEG exam were identified and subsequently certain actions were proposed to help reduce the risks of these potential problems. These actions certify the functioning of the EEG equipment within the formal standards of safety and quality