Using sampled visual EEG review in combination with automated detection software at the EMU.

•Complete visual review of prolonged EEG recordings at an EMU is time consuming and can cause problems in times of paucity of educated personnel.•Sampled visual review in combination with automated detection using Persyst 13 is non-inferior to complete visual review.•It thereby remains warranted that clinical events are continuously observed by trained nurses and patients can use a push button to report events.