[Is cerebral panangiography unnecessary in determining brain death?]

The diagnosis of brain death, i.e. death of cortex and brainstem, can be established by neurologic examination only if there is no intoxication, sedative therapy, or hypothermia. In the latter cases, until now only cerebral panangiography can establish the diagnosis. We investigated, whether in these cases cerebral perfusion scintigraphy (CPS) in combination with brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) can replace CPA for establishing the diagnosis.

40 patients, treated in our interdisciplinary ICU because of primary or secondary brain lesions and in whom determination of brain death by neurological examination was contraindicated, were subjected to the following procedure: When coma was diagnosed, brainstem reflexes were examined. If negative, an atropine-test was done and this being negative, apnea-testing was performed. If apnea was positive, BAEP, CPS and CPA were performed. The results of BAEP and CPS were compared with the results of CPA.

In 38 patients with suspected brain death the first examination showed complete correspondence between BAEP and CPS on one hand and CPA on the other hand (Table 3). In patient No. 39, CPS as well as CPA showed minimal supratentorial circulation, whereas BAEP were negative as was circulation in the fossa posterior. In patient No. 40 as well CPS and CPA showed minimal supratentorial circulation. Brainstem testing with BAEP was negative although CPA showed minimal brainstem perfusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)