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Brain Death

MedGen UID:
646
•Concept ID:
C0006110
•
Pathologic Function
Synonyms: Brain Dead; Brain Deads; Coma Depasse; Death, Brain

Definition

Irreversible absence of cortical and brain stem functioning. [from NCI]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVBrain Death

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Pediatric and Adult Brain Death/Death by Neurologic Criteria Consensus Guideline.
Greer DM, Kirschen MP, Lewis A, Gronseth GS, Rae-Grant A, Ashwal S, Babu MA, Bauer DF, Billinghurst L, Corey A, Partap S, Rubin MA, Shutter L, Takahashi C, Tasker RC, Varelas PN, Wijdicks E, Bennett A, Wessels SR, Halperin JJ
Neurology 2023 Dec 12;101(24):1112-1132. Epub 2023 Oct 11 doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207740. PMID: 37821233Free PMC Article
Brain death and management of the potential donor.
Yoshikawa MH, Rabelo NN, Welling LC, Telles JPM, Figueiredo EG
Neurol Sci 2021 Sep;42(9):3541-3552. Epub 2021 Jun 17 doi: 10.1007/s10072-021-05360-6. PMID: 34138388Free PMC Article
Determination of Brain Death/Death by Neurologic Criteria: The World Brain Death Project.
Greer DM, Shemie SD, Lewis A, Torrance S, Varelas P, Goldenberg FD, Bernat JL, Souter M, Topcuoglu MA, Alexandrov AW, Baldisseri M, Bleck T, Citerio G, Dawson R, Hoppe A, Jacobe S, Manara A, Nakagawa TA, Pope TM, Silvester W, Thomson D, Al Rahma H, Badenes R, Baker AJ, Cerny V, Chang C, Chang TR, Gnedovskaya E, Han MK, Honeybul S, Jimenez E, Kuroda Y, Liu G, Mallick UK, Marquevich V, Mejia-Mantilla J, Piradov M, Quayyum S, Shrestha GS, Su YY, Timmons SD, Teitelbaum J, Videtta W, Zirpe K, Sung G
JAMA 2020 Sep 15;324(11):1078-1097. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.11586. PMID: 32761206

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Whole body gestational donation.
Smajdor A
Theor Med Bioeth 2023 Apr;44(2):113-124. doi: 10.1007/s11017-022-09599-8. PMID: 36401055Free PMC Article
Donation After Cardiac Death in Children.
Argani H
Exp Clin Transplant 2022 Apr;20(Suppl 3):21-26. doi: 10.6002/ect.PediatricSymp2022.L9. PMID: 35570595
Donation After Circulatory Death in lung transplantation.
Van Raemdonck D, Ceulemans LJ, Neyrinck A, Levvey B, Snell GI
Thorac Surg Clin 2022 May;32(2):153-165. doi: 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2021.11.002. PMID: 35512934
The Extraordinary Case of Jahi McMath.
Shewmon DA, Salamon N
Perspect Biol Med 2021;64(4):457-478. doi: 10.1353/pbm.2021.0036. PMID: 34840151
Brain death evaluation during the pandemic.
Migdady I, Rae-Grant A, Greer DM
Neurology 2020 Oct 13;95(15):693-694. Epub 2020 Jul 30 doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000010544. PMID: 32732294

Diagnosis

Understanding Brain Death.
Truog RD, Paquette ET, Tasker RC
JAMA 2020 Jun 2;323(21):2139-2140. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.3593. PMID: 32356868
How Harvard Defined Irreversible Coma.
Wijdicks EFM
Neurocrit Care 2018 Aug;29(1):136-141. doi: 10.1007/s12028-018-0579-8. PMID: 30014183
Brain death determination: still a lot to learn, still a lot to do….
Varelas P
Neurocrit Care 2014 Dec;21(3):373-5. doi: 10.1007/s12028-014-0075-8. PMID: 25315975
Pediatric brain death.
Fackler J, Goldstein B
Crit Care Med 2011 Sep;39(9):2197-8. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e3182226fc7. PMID: 21849838
Brain death.
Russell T
Intensive Care Med 2004 Sep;30(9):1697-8. Epub 2004 Aug 24 doi: 10.1007/s00134-004-2164-1. PMID: 15338123

Therapy

Ex vivo kidney machine perfusion: meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
Kang M, Kim S, Choi JY, Kim KS, Jung YK, Park B, Choi D
Br J Surg 2024 Apr 3;111(4) doi: 10.1093/bjs/znae102. PMID: 38637312
Determination of Brain Death/Death by Neurologic Criteria: The World Brain Death Project.
Greer DM, Shemie SD, Lewis A, Torrance S, Varelas P, Goldenberg FD, Bernat JL, Souter M, Topcuoglu MA, Alexandrov AW, Baldisseri M, Bleck T, Citerio G, Dawson R, Hoppe A, Jacobe S, Manara A, Nakagawa TA, Pope TM, Silvester W, Thomson D, Al Rahma H, Badenes R, Baker AJ, Cerny V, Chang C, Chang TR, Gnedovskaya E, Han MK, Honeybul S, Jimenez E, Kuroda Y, Liu G, Mallick UK, Marquevich V, Mejia-Mantilla J, Piradov M, Quayyum S, Shrestha GS, Su YY, Timmons SD, Teitelbaum J, Videtta W, Zirpe K, Sung G
JAMA 2020 Sep 15;324(11):1078-1097. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.11586. PMID: 32761206
Organ donor management: Eight common recommendations and actions that deserve reflection.
Chamorro-Jambrina C, Muñoz-Ramírez MR, Martínez-Melgar JL, Pérez-Cornejo MS
Med Intensiva 2017 Dec;41(9):559-568. Epub 2017 Mar 16 doi: 10.1016/j.medin.2017.01.012. PMID: 28318674
FAAH inhibitors in the limelight, but regrettably.
Mallet C, Dubray C, Dualé C
Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 2016 Jul;54(7):498-501. doi: 10.5414/CP202687. PMID: 27191771Free PMC Article
Mechanisms of chronic cardiac allograft rejection.
Costello JP, Mohanakumar T, Nath DS
Tex Heart Inst J 2013;40(4):395-9. PMID: 24082367Free PMC Article

Prognosis

Fat Emboli Syndrome.
Misra I, Glasgow J, Moosavy F
Del Med J 2017 May;89(5):148-150. PMID: 29894029
Deadly vasospasm.
Eijking DP, Reichert CL, Wagenvoort AM, Van Geel BM, Toornvliet AC, Honing ML
Resuscitation 2009 Nov;80(11):1318-20. Epub 2009 Aug 21 doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2009.07.009. PMID: 19699573
Donor transmitted malignancies.
Buell JF, Beebe TM, Trofe J, Gross TG, Alloway RR, Hanaway MJ, Woodle ES
Ann Transplant 2004;9(1):53-6. PMID: 15478892
Brain death.
Isaacs D
J Paediatr Child Health 2003 Apr;39(3):224-5. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1754.2003.00131.x. PMID: 12654148
Nonheart-beating donors: the Maastricht experience.
Daemen JW, Kootstra G, Wijnen RM, Yin M, Heineman E
Clin Transpl 1994:303-16. PMID: 7547551

Clinical prediction guides

Determination of Brain Death/Death by Neurologic Criteria: The World Brain Death Project.
Greer DM, Shemie SD, Lewis A, Torrance S, Varelas P, Goldenberg FD, Bernat JL, Souter M, Topcuoglu MA, Alexandrov AW, Baldisseri M, Bleck T, Citerio G, Dawson R, Hoppe A, Jacobe S, Manara A, Nakagawa TA, Pope TM, Silvester W, Thomson D, Al Rahma H, Badenes R, Baker AJ, Cerny V, Chang C, Chang TR, Gnedovskaya E, Han MK, Honeybul S, Jimenez E, Kuroda Y, Liu G, Mallick UK, Marquevich V, Mejia-Mantilla J, Piradov M, Quayyum S, Shrestha GS, Su YY, Timmons SD, Teitelbaum J, Videtta W, Zirpe K, Sung G
JAMA 2020 Sep 15;324(11):1078-1097. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.11586. PMID: 32761206
Assessment of potential heart donors: A statement from the French heart transplant community.
Dorent R, Gandjbakhch E, Goéminne C, Ivanes F, Sebbag L, Bauer F, Epailly E, Boissonnat P, Nubret K, Amour J, Vermes E, Ou P, Guendouz S, Chevalier P, Lebreton G, Flecher E, Obadia JF, Logeart D, de Groote P
Arch Cardiovasc Dis 2018 Feb;111(2):126-139. Epub 2017 Dec 23 doi: 10.1016/j.acvd.2017.12.001. PMID: 29277435
Bioethics, Religion, and Public Policy: Intersections, Interactions, and Solutions.
Kahn PA
J Relig Health 2016 Oct;55(5):1546-60. doi: 10.1007/s10943-015-0144-0. PMID: 26525211
Characteristics associated with liver graft failure: the concept of a donor risk index.
Feng S, Goodrich NP, Bragg-Gresham JL, Dykstra DM, Punch JD, DebRoy MA, Greenstein SM, Merion RM
Am J Transplant 2006 Apr;6(4):783-90. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2006.01242.x. PMID: 16539636
Transcranial Doppler measurements.
Newell DW
New Horiz 1995 Aug;3(3):423-30. PMID: 7496750

Recent systematic reviews

Liver transplantation from brain-dead donors on mechanical circulatory support: a systematic review of the literature.
De Carlis R, Buscemi V, Checchini G, Frassoni S, Bagnardi V, Pagnanelli M, Lauterio A, De Carlis L
Transpl Int 2021 Jan;34(1):5-15. Epub 2020 Oct 28 doi: 10.1111/tri.13766. PMID: 33037727
Brain ultrasonography: methodology, basic and advanced principles and clinical applications. A narrative review.
Robba C, Goffi A, Geeraerts T, Cardim D, Via G, Czosnyka M, Park S, Sarwal A, Padayachy L, Rasulo F, Citerio G
Intensive Care Med 2019 Jul;45(7):913-927. Epub 2019 Apr 25 doi: 10.1007/s00134-019-05610-4. PMID: 31025061
Recommendations for donation after circulatory death kidney transplantation in Europe.
van Heurn LW, Talbot D, Nicholson ML, Akhtar MZ, Sanchez-Fructuoso AI, Weekers L, Barrou B
Transpl Int 2016 Jul;29(7):780-9. Epub 2015 Oct 7 doi: 10.1111/tri.12682. PMID: 26340168
Basic concepts about brain pathophysiology and intracranial pressure monitoring.
Rodríguez-Boto G, Rivero-Garvía M, Gutiérrez-González R, Márquez-Rivas J
Neurologia 2015 Jan-Feb;30(1):16-22. Epub 2012 Dec 13 doi: 10.1016/j.nrl.2012.09.002. PMID: 23246212
Novel guidelines for organ donor cancer screening.
Hassanain M
Ann Transplant 2014 May 20;19:241-7. doi: 10.12659/AOT.890339. PMID: 24841765

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