Clinical Diagnosis and Ancillary Tests in Brain Death: Effects on The Organ Donation Process

Abstract

Objective: Demographic data of patients diagnosed as brain dead at our intensive care unit were evaluatedalong with the methods used to diagnose brain death, their effects on the timing of the diagnosis, and theireffects on each family’s donation decision as well as the reasons for donation refusal.Methods:In this single-center study, data of patients diagnosed with brain death at the tertiary intensive careunit (ICU), between January 2012 and December 2018 were evaluated retrospectively.Results: The data of a total of 110 patients diagnosed in ICU were evaluated. The BD diagnosis time wasmedian (min-max) 24.5 hours (12-48) in the clinical evaluation group (Group I) and 20.5 hours (7-28) inthe ancillary confirmatory test group (Group II). In Group I, the diagnostic time was significantly shorterin comparison with group II. Family organ donation consent could not be obtained in 61 (55.5%) of 110cases. No significant difference was found between Groups I and II in terms of organ donation consent.Themost common reasons for refusal of organ donation rejection was concern about disruption of body integrity(31.1%), not believing in brain death (24.6%), religious reasons (11.5%) and disagreement of family members(6.6%), respectively.Conclusion: According to the results of our study, the use of the ancillary confirmatory test in the diagnosis ofbrain death is recommended because it shortens the duration of the diagnosis. According to the results of ourstudy, the method of diagnosis did not affect family decisions.