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Abstract
Brain death has been accepted as a legal definition of death in most countries, but practices for determining brain death vary widely. One source of variation is in the use of ancillary tests to assist in the diagnosis of brain death. Through case-based discussions with 3 experts from 3 continents, this article discusses selected aspects of brain death, with a focus on the use of ancillary tests. In particular, we explore the following questions: Are ancillary tests necessary, or is the clinical examination sufficient? What ancillary tests are preferred, and under which circumstances? Are ancillary tests required when the primary mechanism of injury is brainstem injury? Should the family's wishes play a role in the need for ancillary tests? The same case-based questions were posed to the rest of our readership in an online survey, the preliminary results of which are also presented.
Footnotes
Funding information and disclosures are provided at the end of the article. Full disclosure form information provided by the authors is available with the full text of this article at Neurology.org/cp.
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- Received February 7, 2018.
- Accepted April 11, 2018.
- © 2018 American Academy of Neurology
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The Nerve!: Rapid online correspondence
- Author Response: Practice Current: When do you order ancillary tests to determine brain death?
- Reader Response: Ancillary tests in brain death confirmation
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