[Brain Death/Death by Neurologic Criteria: Guidelines and Recent Developments]

Brain death/death by neurologic criteria (BD/DNC) is a diagnostic guideline that defines the irreversible cessation of all functions of the brain, including both cerebral hemispheres and the brainstem, resulting from massive organic brain damage. In 2020, the World Brain Death Project, an international collaborative endorsed by 27 international societies, published comprehensive guidelines regarding the standardization of terminology and criteria for the accurate determination of BD/DNC in adults and children. In 2023, the updated and integrated 2010 American Academy of Neurology brain death guidelines for adults and the 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics, Child Neurology Society, and Society of Critical Care Medicine guidelines for infants and children were published. In this article, the current concepts of BD/DNC and the practice of BD/DNC determination in Japan and worldwide are reviewed, along with the most recent developments.