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Aligning the Criterion and Tests for Brain Death

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 September 2019

JAMES L. BERNAT  and
ANNE L. DALLE AVE
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Abstract:

Disturbing cases continue to be published of patients declared brain dead who later were found to have a few intact brain functions. We address the reasons for the mismatch between the whole-brain criterion and brain death tests, and suggest solutions. Many of the cases result from diagnostic errors in brain death determination. Others probably result from a tiny amount of residual blood flow to the brain despite intracranial circulatory arrest. Strategies to lessen the mismatch include improving brain death determination training for physicians, mandating a test showing complete intracranial circulatory arrest, or revising the whole-brain criterion.

Keywords

brain deathwhole brain criterionbrain death testsbrain death determination
Type
Article
Information
Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics , Volume 28 , Special Issue 4: Clinical Neuroethics , October 2019 , pp. 635 - 641
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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References

Notes

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17. See note 13, Bernat, Brust 2019.

18. See texts referenced in note 2.

19. We discussed these ideas briefly in the article cited in note 8.

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