Sarnat staging is used to classify the severity of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in neonates based on clinical features and EEG findings.
It consists of three stages: mild (Stage I), moderate (Stage II), and severe (Stage III).
|
Feature |
Stage I (Mild) |
Stage II (Moderate) |
Stage III (Severe) |
|
Level of consciousness |
Alert, hyperalert |
Lethargic, obtunded |
Stupor, coma |
|
Muscle tone |
Normal or mild hypertonia |
Hypotonia |
Flaccid |
|
Deep Tendon Reflexes |
Exaggerated |
Weak or absent |
Absent |
|
Seizures |
None |
Common, often focal |
Frequent, severe, refractory |
|
EEG findings |
Normal awake pattern, may show subtle abnormalities |
Low voltage, slow activity, or seizures |
Suppressed activity, isoelectric or burst suppression pattern |