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Escudero D, Valentín MO, Escalante JL, Sanmartín A, Perez-Basterrechea M, de Gea J, Martín M, Velasco J, Pont T, Masnou N, de la Calle B, Marcelo B, Lebrón M, Pérez JM, Burgos M, Gimeno R, Kot P, Yus S, Sancho I, Zabalegui A, Arroyo M, Miñambres E, Elizalde J, Montejo JC, Domínguez-Gil B, Matesanz R. Intensive care practices in brain death diagnosis and organ donation. Anaesthesia 2015; 70:1130-9. [PMID: 26040194 DOI: 10.1111/anae.13065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
We conducted a multicentre study of 1844 patients from 42 Spanish intensive care units, and analysed the clinical characteristics of brain death, the use of ancillary testing, and the clinical decisions taken after the diagnosis of brain death. The main cause of brain death was intracerebral haemorrhage (769/1844, 42%), followed by traumatic brain injury (343/1844, 19%) and subarachnoid haemorrhage (257/1844, 14%). The diagnosis of brain death was made rapidly (50% in the first 24 h). Of those patients who went on to die, the Glasgow Coma Scale on admission was ≤ 8/15 in 1146/1261 (91%) of patients with intracerebral haemorrhage, traumatic brain injury or anoxic encephalopathy; the Hunt and Hess Scale was 4-5 in 207/251 (83%) of patients following subarachnoid haemorrhage; and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was ≥ 15 in 114/129 (89%) of patients with strokes. Brain death was diagnosed exclusively by clinical examination in 92/1844 (5%) of cases. Electroencephalography was the most frequently used ancillary test (1303/1752, 70.7%), followed by transcranial Doppler (652/1752, 37%). Organ donation took place in 70% of patients (1291/1844), with medical unsuitability (267/553, 48%) and family refusal (244/553, 13%) the main reasons for loss of potential donors. All life-sustaining measures were withdrawn in 413/553 of non-donors (75%).
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Affiliation(s)
- D Escudero
- Intensive Care Unit, Central University Hospital of Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
| | - M O Valentín
- Spanish National Transplant Organization (ONT), Madrid, Spain
| | - J L Escalante
- Intensive Care Unit, Gregorio Marañón University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Sanmartín
- Intensive Care Unit, Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospital, Murcia, Spain
| | - M Perez-Basterrechea
- Unit of Transplants, Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Central University Hospital of Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
| | - J de Gea
- Intensive Care Unit, Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospital, Murcia, Spain
| | - M Martín
- Intensive Care Unit, Central University Hospital of Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
| | - J Velasco
- Intensive Care Unit, Son Espases University Hospital, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - T Pont
- Intensive Care Unit, Vall D'Hebron Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - N Masnou
- Intensive Care Unit, Vall D'Hebron Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - B de la Calle
- Intensive Care Unit, Gregorio Marañón University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - B Marcelo
- Intensive Care Unit, Infanta Cristina University Hospital, Badajoz, Spain
| | - M Lebrón
- Intensive Care Unit, Carlos Haya Hospital, Málaga, Spain
| | - J M Pérez
- Intensive Care Unit, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Granada, Spain
| | - M Burgos
- Intensive Care Unit, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Granada, Spain
| | - R Gimeno
- Intensive Care Unit, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - P Kot
- Intensive Care Unit, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - S Yus
- Intensive Care Unit, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - I Sancho
- Intensive Care Unit, Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - A Zabalegui
- Intensive Care Unit, General Yagüe Hospital, Burgos, Spain
| | - M Arroyo
- Intensive Care Unit, General Yagüe Hospital, Burgos, Spain
| | - E Miñambres
- Intensive Care Unit, Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander, Spain
| | - J Elizalde
- Intensive Care Unit, Asistential Complex of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - J C Montejo
- Intensive Care Unit, 12 de Octubre University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - B Domínguez-Gil
- Spanish National Transplant Organization (ONT), Madrid, Spain
| | - R Matesanz
- Spanish National Transplant Organization (ONT), Madrid, Spain
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Huang APH, Tsai JC, Kuo LT, Lee CW, Lai HS, Tsai LK, Huang SJ, Chen CM, Chen YS, Chuang HY, Wintermark M. Clinical application of perfusion computed tomography in neurosurgery. J Neurosurg 2013; 120:473-88. [PMID: 24266541 DOI: 10.3171/2013.10.jns13103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECT Currently, perfusion CT (PCT) is a valuable imaging technique that has been successfully applied to the clinical management of patients with ischemic stroke and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, recent literature and the authors' experience have shown that PCT has many more important clinical applications in a variety of neurosurgical conditions. Therefore, the authors share their experiences of its application in various diseases of the cerebrovascular, neurotraumatology, and neurooncology fields and review the pertinent literature regarding expanding PCT applications for neurosurgical conditions, including pitfalls and future developments. METHODS A pertinent literature search was conducted of English-language articles describing original research, case series, and case reports from 1990 to 2011 involving PCT and with relevance and applicability to neurosurgical disorders. RESULTS In the cerebrovascular field, PCT is already in use as a diagnostic tool for patients suspected of having an ischemic stroke. Perfusion CT can be used to identify and define the extent of the infarct core and ischemic penumbra core, and thus aid patient selection for acute reperfusion therapy. For patients with aneurysmal SAH, PCT provides assessment of early brain injury, cerebral ischemia, and infarction, in addition to vasospasm. It may also be used to aid case selection for aggressive treatment of patients with poor SAH grade. In terms of oncological applications, PCT can be used as an imaging biomarker to assess angiogenesis and response to antiangiogenetic treatments, differentiate between glioma grades, and distinguish recurrent tumor from radiation necrosis. In the setting of traumatic brain injury, PCT can detect and delineate contusions at an early stage. In patients with mild head injury, PCT results have been shown to correlate with the severity and duration of postconcussion syndrome. In patients with moderate or severe head injury, PCT results have been shown to correlate with patients' functional outcome. CONCLUSIONS Perfusion CT provides quantitative and qualitative data that can add diagnostic and prognostic value in a number of neurosurgical disorders, and also help with clinical decision making. With emerging new technical developments in PCT, such as characterization of blood-brain barrier permeability and whole-brain PCT, this technique is expected to provide more and more insight into the pathophysiology of many neurosurgical conditions.
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Welschehold S, Boor S, Reuland K, Thömke F, Kerz T, Reuland A, Beyer C, Gartenschläger M, Wagner W, Giese A, Müller-Forell W. Technical aids in the diagnosis of brain death: a comparison of SEP, AEP, EEG, TCD and CT angiography. DEUTSCHES ARZTEBLATT INTERNATIONAL 2012; 109:624-30. [PMID: 23093994 DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2012.0624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2012] [Accepted: 04/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of technical aids to confirm brain death is a controversial matter. Angiography with the intra-arterial administration of contrast medium is the international gold standard, but it is not allowed in Germany except in cases where it provides a potential mode of treatment. The currently approved tests in Germany are recordings of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), brain perfusion scintigraphy, transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD), and electroencephalography (EEG). CT angiography (CTA), a promising new alternative, is being increasingly used as well. METHODS In a prospective, single-center study that was carried out from 2008 to 2011, 71 consecutive patients in whom brain death was diagnosed on clinical grounds underwent recording of auditory evoked potentials (AEP) and SSEP as well as EEG, TCD and CTA. RESULTS The validity of CTA for the confirmation of brain death was 94%; the validity of the other tests was: 94% for EEG, 92% for TCD, 82% for SSEP, and 2% for AEP. In 61 of the 71 patients (86%), the EEG, TCD and CTA findings all accorded with the clinical diagnosis. The diagnosis of brain death was established beyond doubt in all patients. CONCLUSION In this study, the technical aids yielded discordant results in 14% of cases, necessitating interpretation by an expert examiner. The perfusion tests, in particular, can give false-positive results in patients with large cranial defects, skull fractures, or cerebrospinal fluid drainage. In such cases, electrophysiologic tests or a repeated clinical examination should be performed instead. CTA is a promising, highly reliable new method for demonstrating absent intracranial blood flow. In our view, it should be incorporated into the German guidelines for the diagnosis of brain death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Welschehold
- Department of Neurotraumatology and Neurosurgery, Asklepios Hospital Weißenfels, Trauma Center
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Machado C. Diagnosis of brain death. Neurol Int 2010; 2:e2. [PMID: 21577338 PMCID: PMC3093212 DOI: 10.4081/ni.2010.e2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2009] [Revised: 12/14/2009] [Accepted: 01/20/2010] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain death (BD) should be understood as the ultimate clinical expression of a brain catastrophe characterized by a complete and irreversible neurological stoppage, recognized by irreversible coma, absent brainstem reflexes, and apnea. The most common pattern is manifested by an elevation of intracranial pressure to a point beyond the mean arterial pressure, and hence cerebral perfusion pressure falls and, as a result, no net cerebral blood flow is present, in due course leading to permanent cytotoxic injury of the intracranial neuronal tissue. A second mechanism is an intrinsic injury affecting the nervous tissue at a cellular level which, if extensive and unremitting, can also lead to BD. We review here the methodology of diagnosing death, based on finding any of the signs of death. The irreversible loss of cardio-circulatory and respiratory functions can cause death only when ischemia and anoxia are prolonged enough to produce an irreversible destruction of the brain. The sign of such loss of brain functions, that is to say BD diagnosis, is fully reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calixto Machado
- Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Havana, Cuba
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Abstract
Brain death has been recognized by the scientific community as the person's death, and accepted in the legislation of different countries. Brain death is defined as the irreversible ending of the functions of all the intracranial neurological structure in both the brain and brain stem. This clinical situation appears when intracranial pressure exceeds the patient's systolic blood pressure, leading to brain circulatory arrest. The most frequent are cerebral hemorrhage and cranioencephalic trauma. Clinical diagnostic must be done by doctors with expertise in neurocritical patient treatment. This diagnosis is based on a systematic, complete and extremely rigorous clinical examination that confirms a non-reactive coma, absence of brain stem reflex, and absence of spontaneous breathing. Instrumental tests may be obligatory in some cases, this depending on each country. Electroencephalogram and evoked potentials are the electrophysiological tests used. In patients treated with sedative drugs, cerebral blood flow evaluation tests, such as cerebral angiography, transcranial Doppler or 99Tc-HMPAO scintigraphy, will be used. More than 92% of the transplants performed in Spain are performed with brain death donor organs. Brain death confirmation is a high responsibility act, with medical, ethical and legal significance since it requires removal of all artificial support, or organs extraction for transplant. Extensive knowledge on its diagnostic and correct decision making avoid unnecessary use of resources and improves management of organs for transplant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dolores Escudero
- Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
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Escudero D, Otero J, Marqués L, Parra D, Gonzalo JA, Albaiceta GM, Cofiño L, Blanco A, Vega P, Murias E, Meilan Á, Roger RL, Taboada F. Diagnosing Brain Death by CT Perfusion and Multislice CT Angiography. Neurocrit Care 2009; 11:261-71. [DOI: 10.1007/s12028-009-9243-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2009] [Accepted: 06/08/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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