Ariane Lewis1, Jordan Liebman2, Elana Kreiger-Benson2, Andrew Kumpfbeck2, Azza Bakkar2, Sam D Shemie3,4, Gene Sung5, Sylvia Torrance4, David Greer6. 1. Division of Neurocritical Care, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, NYU Langone Medical Center, 530 First Avenue, HCC-5A, New York, NY, 10016, USA. ariane.kansas.lewis@gmail.com. 2. NYU School of Medicine, 530 First Avenue, New York, NY, USA. 3. Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University, 1001 Decarie Blvd, Montreal, Canada. 4. Canadian Blood Services, 1800 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa, Canada. 5. LAC and USC Medical Center, 2051 Marengo Street, Los Angeles, USA. 6. Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Collamore 3, Suite 338, Boston, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify similarities and differences in the diagnostic requirements for ancillary testing for determination of brain death/death by neurologic criteria (BD/DNC) around the world. METHODS: We reviewed diagnostic requirements for ancillary testing for BD/DNC in 78 unique official national BD/DNC protocols obtained from contacts worldwide between January 2018 and April 2019. RESULTS: Details provided on the performance and interpretation of ancillary tests for determination of BD/DNC were variably provided and inconsistent. Approximately half of all protocols that included each ancillary test provided details about study performance: 63% of protocols that included conventional cerebral angiography, 55% of protocols that included electroencephalography, 50% of protocols that included somatosensory evoked potentials, 48% of protocols that included transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, 43% of protocols that included nuclear medicine flow study and 41% of protocols that included brainstem auditory evoked potentials. Similarly, about half of all protocols that included each ancillary test provided details about study interpretation: 66% of protocols that included electroencephalography, 59% of protocols that included brainstem auditory evoked potentials, 56% of protocols that included somatosensory evoked potentials, 55% of protocols that included transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, 52% of protocols that included conventional cerebral angiography and 49% of protocols that included nuclear medicine flow study. INTERPRETATION: Diagnostic requirements for ancillary testing in BD/DNC determination vary around the world. We hope that the World Brain Death Project will improve worldwide consensus on the diagnostic requirements for ancillary testing in BD/DNC, both for performance and interpretation.
OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify similarities and differences in the diagnostic requirements for ancillary testing for determination of brain death/death by neurologic criteria (BD/DNC) around the world. METHODS: We reviewed diagnostic requirements for ancillary testing for BD/DNC in 78 unique official national BD/DNC protocols obtained from contacts worldwide between January 2018 and April 2019. RESULTS: Details provided on the performance and interpretation of ancillary tests for determination of BD/DNC were variably provided and inconsistent. Approximately half of all protocols that included each ancillary test provided details about study performance: 63% of protocols that included conventional cerebral angiography, 55% of protocols that included electroencephalography, 50% of protocols that included somatosensory evoked potentials, 48% of protocols that included transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, 43% of protocols that included nuclear medicine flow study and 41% of protocols that included brainstem auditory evoked potentials. Similarly, about half of all protocols that included each ancillary test provided details about study interpretation: 66% of protocols that included electroencephalography, 59% of protocols that included brainstem auditory evoked potentials, 56% of protocols that included somatosensory evoked potentials, 55% of protocols that included transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, 52% of protocols that included conventional cerebral angiography and 49% of protocols that included nuclear medicine flow study. INTERPRETATION: Diagnostic requirements for ancillary testing in BD/DNC determination vary around the world. We hope that the World Brain Death Project will improve worldwide consensus on the diagnostic requirements for ancillary testing in BD/DNC, both for performance and interpretation.