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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Brain Death Induction in Mice Using Intra-Arterial Blood Pressure Monitoring and Ventilation via Tracheostomy

Brain Death Induction in Mice Using Intra-Arterial Blood Pressure Monitoring and Ventilation via Tracheostomy

Published on: April 17, 2020

Baclofen overdose mimicking brain death.

Ross Sullivan¹, Michael J Hodgman, Louise Kao

¹SUNY Upstate Medical University, Department of Emergency Medicine, Syracuse, USA. sullivar@upstate.edu

Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)

|February 2, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Baclofen overdose can cause prolonged coma mimicking brain death. A standard 5-half-life observation period is insufficient for baclofen intoxication, requiring cautious brain death determination in overdose patients.

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Area of Science:

Neurology
Toxicology
Critical Care Medicine

Background:

Brain death guidelines require careful application in drug intoxication cases.
A common recommendation is to observe patients for five half-lives of a drug after overdose.
Prolonged coma in overdose patients can complicate the assessment of brain death.

Observation:

Two cases of severe baclofen intoxication presented with profound coma and absent brainstem reflexes.
Despite initial concerns for brain death, patients exhibited delayed arousal days after overdose.
Standard neurological assessments, including EEG and apnea tests, were inconclusive in determining brain death.

Findings:

Baclofen intoxication can induce prolonged and deep coma, potentially mimicking brain death.
A fixed 5-half-life observation period is inadequate for baclofen overdose, leading to potential misdiagnosis.
Delayed neurological recovery was observed in patients with massive baclofen overdose.

Implications:

Physicians must exercise extreme caution when evaluating brain death in comatose patients with drug intoxication.
Extended observation periods are necessary to allow for adequate drug clearance and neurological recovery.
These findings highlight the need for revised protocols for assessing brain death in specific intoxication scenarios, like baclofen overdose.