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Bispectral Index Scale variations in patients diagnosed with brain death
B Fyntanidou1, V Grosomanidis, Z Aidoni
1Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. bfyntan@yahoo.com
Transplantation Proceedings
|November 14, 2012
Summary
Bispectral Index Scale (BIS) monitoring in brain death (BD) cases showed minimal activity, though some patients experienced transient increases. BIS may aid BD confirmation but does not replace clinical assessments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Brain death (BD) signifies irreversible loss of brain stem function, diagnosed clinically in Greece.
- Bispectral Index Scale (BIS) quantifies brain activity via electroencephalogram analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To record Bispectral Index Scale (BIS) alterations in patients diagnosed with brain death (BD).
Main Methods:
- Continuous BIS monitoring was performed for 24–36 hours in 35 hemodynamically stable, normothermic, and normocapnic brain-dead patients.
- Exclusion criteria included oxygenation disturbances and electrolyte abnormalities.
Main Results:
- BIS values remained at 0 for most of the study period across all patients.
- In 23 patients, BIS values transiently exceeded 30 for over 30 minutes without identifiable external stimuli.
Conclusions:
- BIS offers a noninvasive method for monitoring cerebral activity, potentially assisting in brain death confirmation.
- BIS cannot substitute established clinical criteria for BD diagnosis mandated by Greek legislation.
