In deepening coma, what is likely to happen to triphasic waves?

In the context of deepening coma, triphasic waves are typically seen in patients with metabolic disturbances, especially liver failure or other encephalopathies. These waveforms may be observed on an EEG as a series of sharp waves followed by a slower wave. As the patient's level of consciousness decreases and the coma deepens, the overall cerebral function declines.

This decline often results in a reduction of cortical activity, which includes the suppression of specific EEG patterns like triphasic waves. Rather than continuing to appear, these waves may become less frequent and eventually disappear altogether as the brain's activity diminishes. This is indicative of severe brain dysfunction, reflecting the gross changes in the brain’s electrical activity associated with deepening coma. As a result, the disappearance of triphasic waves signals a progression of the underlying condition affecting the patient's brain and consciousness level.