EEG Patient Safety and Ethics 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient undergoing a prolonged EEG develops a stage IV pressure ulcer under a scalp electrode. This outcome best represents a failure in which ethical principle?
- Justice
- Autonomy
- Non-maleficence (Correct answer)
- Veracity
Correct answer: Non-maleficence
Non-maleficence — the duty to avoid causing harm — is violated when preventable pressure injuries occur due to inadequate electrode site monitoring.
Question 2: During a routine outpatient EEG, a patient discloses they are currently experiencing active suicidal ideation. What is the technologist's first action?
- Complete the EEG as planned, then document the disclosure at the end of the session
- Do not engage further to avoid worsening distress
- Immediately alert clinical staff or a supervisor and ensure the patient is not left alone (Correct answer)
- Ask the patient to contact their own therapist after leaving the facility
Correct answer: Immediately alert clinical staff or a supervisor and ensure the patient is not left alone
Active suicidal ideation is a psychiatric emergency requiring immediate notification of clinical staff and continuous patient supervision.
Question 3: Which scenario represents an appropriate use of physical restraint during a pediatric EEG?
- Applying wrist restraints routinely to prevent electrode displacement in all children under age 5
- Using a papoose board with parental consent and physician order when medically necessary and less restrictive methods have failed (Correct answer)
- Restraining a cooperative child simply to shorten setup time
- Using restraints whenever a child cries during electrode application
Correct answer: Using a papoose board with parental consent and physician order when medically necessary and less restrictive methods have failed
Restraint requires a physician order, parental consent, documented failure of alternatives, and must be the least restrictive option necessary.
Question 4: An EEG technologist is asked by a pharmaceutical company representative to share de-identified EEG recordings for research. What must occur before any sharing?
- The technologist may share de-identified data freely since there is no PHI involved
- Written approval from the facility's IRB or privacy officer and a data use agreement must be in place (Correct answer)
- Verbal approval from the ordering physician is sufficient
- The technologist can share data if the patient's name is removed from the file header
Correct answer: Written approval from the facility's IRB or privacy officer and a data use agreement must be in place
Sharing patient data for research, even de-identified, requires institutional oversight through an IRB and a formal data use agreement.
Question 5: A patient who speaks only Spanish arrives for an EEG and the technologist speaks only English. Which approach best upholds informed consent standards?
- Use the patient's adult family member as an informal interpreter for the consent discussion
- Proceed without explanation since the procedure is non-invasive
- Arrange a qualified medical interpreter (in person, phone, or video) before obtaining consent (Correct answer)
- Provide a written consent form in English and have the patient sign it
Correct answer: Arrange a qualified medical interpreter (in person, phone, or video) before obtaining consent
Informed consent requires that the patient fully understands the procedure, which necessitates a qualified medical interpreter — not a family member — to avoid conflict of interest and ensure accuracy.
Question 6: Which action by an EEG technologist during a video-EEG monitoring session could constitute a HIPAA violation?
- Reviewing the recording with the supervising neurologist on a secure workstation
- Posting an anonymized educational clip on a social media platform without explicit patient authorization (Correct answer)
- Storing the recording on the facility's encrypted server with access restricted to the care team
- Documenting behavioral events in the patient's medical record
Correct answer: Posting an anonymized educational clip on a social media platform without explicit patient authorization
Posting any patient recording — even anonymized — to social media without specific written HIPAA authorization is a privacy violation.
Question 7: A technologist notices a patient's pacemaker is not listed on the referral but the patient mentions it during setup. Which is the correct immediate action regarding electrical safety?
- Proceed since modern EEG machines produce no significant current that could affect pacemakers
- Stop setup, verify pacemaker type and settings with the patient's cardiologist, and document the finding before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Complete the study but avoid placing electrodes near the chest
- Replace all electrodes with wireless Bluetooth electrodes to eliminate any risk
Correct answer: Stop setup, verify pacemaker type and settings with the patient's cardiologist, and document the finding before proceeding
Undisclosed implanted devices require clinical verification before proceeding because certain electrode currents and stimulation protocols may interact with pacemaker function.
EEG Patient Safety and Ethics 5
A patient undergoing a prolonged EEG develops a stage IV pressure ulcer under a scalp electrode.
This outcome best represents a failure in which ethical principle?