[Practical use of the brain death diagnosis]

A retrospective review of a material spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhages and head injuries from a period of five years revealed that 14% of the patients with these diagnoses eventually are diagnosed as brain dead. In half of the brain dead patients cerebral angiography was carried out and, in all of the cases, this revealed circulatory arrest in the brain. The investigation demonstrates that, on the average, 8.5 hours elapse from the establishing of the diagnosis of brain death until cardiac arrest occurs. In 75 out of 105 cases, relations were asked for permission to remove organs and the reply was affirmative in 52 cases (69.3%). Two patients had already consented to organ donation.