Understanding of Brain Death Among Health-Care Professionals at a Transplant Center

There is considerable variation in brain death understanding and policies between medical institutions, however, studies have not yet compared different health-care professionals working in the same hospital.

The overall aim of this study was to evaluate understanding of brain death among health-care professionals within intensive care units (ICUs) at a single institution.

Study participants included 217 attending physicians, residents, nurses, medical students, and other ICU team members in 6 ICUs. Participants completed a 21-question survey pertaining to knowledge of brain death and related institutional policies as well as opinions about brain death.

We found a wide range of brain death understanding among health-care professionals in ICUs. Attending physicians have the greatest understanding (94.7%), followed by nurses (72.4%). In contrast, approximately half of the students and residents do not have a basic understanding of brain death. Brain death understanding was correlated to health-care role, years of experience, and whether the participant had formal training in brain death. Although most participants had been involved in cases of brain death, a much smaller number had received formal training on death by neurological criteria.

The present study observed a paucity of clinical training in brain death among health-care professionals in the study ICUs. There is an opportunity for improved clinical education on brain death that could improve communication with families about brain death and potentially increase the number of organs transplanted.