Declaring a patient brain dead is a complicated and serious proceedure. A complete, irreversible cessation of brain function, brain death is one of two ways to determine death.
But a new study has found that the policies for determining brain death are surprisingly inconsistent in the United States. The study shows that some hospitals have failed to adequately implement guidelines created to reduce errors.
Decreased Consciousness
Consciousness can be decreased to various degrees and result in conditions like delirium, stupor, coma, persistent vegetative state, minimal conscious state and brain death.
Advertisement
‘Researchers reported significant differences among U.S. hospitals in how important parts of the brain death guidelines have been accepted.’
Tweet it Now
"This is truly one of those matters of life and death, and we want to make sure this is done right every single time," David Greer, a neurologist at the Yale University School of medicine and leader of the study, told NPR.
Greer previously helped write a set of guidelines for determining brain death in 2010. The guidelines has since been recommended to every hospital by the American Academy of Neurology.
![Second Brain Death Exam Traumatic]( "Second Brain Death Exam Traumatic")
A second exam on a person who is considered brain dead could prove to be financially and emotionally traumatic.
Greer and his team analyzed the policies of 492 hospitals and health care systems across the U.S. The team found that most of them had adopted the guidelines. However the researchers reported significant differences in how important parts of the guide have been accepted.
Most importantly, they found many of the hospitals did not require a neurologist, neurosurgeon, or even a fully trained clinicain to make the call.
"In some hospitals they actually allowed for a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant to do it," Greer said.
Source: Medindia
Second Brain Death Exam Traumatic
A second exam on a person who is considered brain dead could prove to be financially and emotionally traumatic.
Advertisement
Greer and his team analyzed the policies of 492 hospitals and health care systems across the U.S. The team found that most of them had adopted the guidelines. However the researchers reported significant differences in how important parts of the guide have been accepted.
Most importantly, they found many of the hospitals did not require a neurologist, neurosurgeon, or even a fully trained clinicain to make the call.
"In some hospitals they actually allowed for a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant to do it," Greer said.
Source: Medindia
More Clarity and Direction Provided by New AAN Guideline on Determining Brain Death
The American Academy of Neurology has issued an updated guideline that provides doctors with a step-by-step process for determining brain death in adults.
Advertisement
 Organ Donation Should be Made Compulsory in India: Health ExpertsWestern countries have an aggressive approach towards organ donation. They permit organ donation by default unless the donor had opposed it during his lifetime. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Reading
Latest Hospital News
Is prehabilitation associated with improved outcomes in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery? Yes, it improved overall function in comparison with usual care.
An exploratory investigation in Ghana revealed that surgical site infection was a statistically significant variable in determining postoperative healthcare costs.
Adolescents and young adults preferred more patient-led active decision-making while parents preferred more parent/physician-shared decision-making.
Is hand hygiene important in hospital settings? Clean hands can help patients and staff in healthcare settings to avoid healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). So, wash your hands
Antibiotic resistance may result from poor hygiene practices in hospitals or other medical facilities, stated study.