Similar articles

Abstract: Objective: Optimization of combining electroencephalography (EEG), short latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SLSEP) and transcranial Doppler (TCD) techniques to diagnose brain death. Methods: One hundred and eleven patients (69 males, 42 females) from the major hospitals of Zhejiang Province were examined with portable EEG, SLSEP and TCD devices. Re-examinations occurred ≤12 h later. Results: The first examination revealed that the combination of SLSEP and EEG led to more sensitive diagnoses than the combination of SLSEP and TCD. Re-examination confirmed this and also revealed that the combination of TCD and EEG was the most sensitive. Conclusion: The results show that using multiple techniques to diagnose brain death is superior to using single method, and that the combination of SLSEP and EEG is better than other combinations.

[1] Ad Hoc Committee of the Harvard Medical School to Examine the Definition of Brain Death, 1968. A definition of irreversible coma. JAMA, 205(6):337-340.

[2] Cabrer, C., Dominguez-Roldan, J.M., Manyalich, M., Trias, E., Paredes, D., Navarro, A., 2003. Persistence of intracranial diastolic flow in transcranial Doppler sonography exploration of patients in brain death. Transplant. Proc., 35(5):1642-1643.

[3] Cheng, W.L., Lin, K.C., 2008. Supplementary tests for confirmation of brain death. J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B, 9(11):921-922.

[4] Facco, E., Casartelli Liviero, M., Munari, M., Toffoletto, F., Baratto, F., Giron, G.P., 1990. Short latency evoked potentials: new criteria for brain death? J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, 53(4):35l-353.

[5] Facco, E., Munari, M., Gallo, F., Volpin, S.M., Behr, A.U., Baratto, F., Giron, G.P., 2002. Role of short latency evoked potentials in the diagnosis of brain death. Clin. Neurophysiol., 113(11):1855-1866.

[6] Grigg, M.M., Kelly, M.A., Celesia, G.G., Ghobrial, M.W., Ross, E.R., 1987. Electroencephalographic activity after brain death. Arch. Neurol., 44(9):948-954.

[7] Kuo, J.R., Chen, C.F., Chio, C.C., Chang, C.H., Wang, C.C., Yang, C.M., 2006. Time dependent validity in the diagnosis of brain death using transcranial Doppler sonography. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, 77(5):646-649.

[8] Luo, B.Y., Yuan, Q.M., Tang, M., Jiang, M.Y., Qiu, Y.Q., 2006a. Electroencephalogram in the diagnosis of brain death. Chin. J. Neurol., 39(8):532-535 (in Chinese).

[9] Luo, B.Y., Zhang, L.Y., Jiang, M.Y., Wang, J.W., Qiu, Y.Q., 2006b. The application of transcranial Doppler in the evaluation of brain function in deeply comatose patients. Chin. J. Intern. Med., 45(2):116-118.

[10] The National Ministry of Health’s Drafting Group of the Standard Judgment of Brain Death, 2003. The technique standard of judgment of brain death (opinion soliciting draft). Chin. J. Med., 83(3):262 (in Chinese).

[11] Waters, C.E., French, G., Burt, M., 2004. Difficulty in brainstem death testing in the presence of high spinal cord injury. Br. J. Anaesth., 92(5):760-764.

[12] Wjdicks, E.F.M., 2001. Brain Death, 1st Ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, p.285.

[13] Young, G.B., Shemie, S.D., Dong, C.J., Teitelbaum, J., 2006. Brief review: the role of ancillary tests in the neurological determination of death. Can. J. Anaesth., 53(6):620-627.