ABSTRACT

Introduction:

The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the brain death (BD) cases in our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) within a period of two years.

Methods:

The patients with a diagnosis of BD between January 2016 and October 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Demographic characteristics, diagnoses, BD detection time, additional tests, family’s consent to organ donation and donation rate, hospitalization day and routine laboratory data on the diagnosis day and insulin-desmopressin-vasopressor/inotropic infusions were recorded.

Results:

Twelve patients were diagnosed with BD. The mean age was 6.18±1.3 years. The most frequent diagnosis was post-traumatic BD (73%) in our PICU. Apnea testing was performed in all cases and radiological imaging methods were used in 36% (n=4) to support the diagnosis. The donation rate was 27% (n=3). Nine patients (82%) received vasopressor for hypotension, 5 (46%) received insulin for hyperglycemia, and 3 (27%) had desmopressin therapy for diabetes insipidus. Tests were performed in 82% of patients (n=9) for the diagnosis of BD in the first week of hospitalization. When the laboratory data and infusion status were compared on the day of hospitalization and on the day of diagnosis, similar results were found except for potassium and platelet count.

Conclusion:

When clinical evaluation is not sufficient in the diagnosis of BD, examination findings should be supported by laboratory tests. In the process for determining BD, a very rigorous general care and monitoring should be done. We believe that laboratory parameters should be closely monitored in cases diagnosed with BD.

Keywords: Brain death, pediatric intensive care unit, donor, organ donation

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Evaluation of Patients with Diagnosis of Brain Death

ABSTRACT

References