[Transcranial Doppler in the diagnosis of brain death]

The delay in the diagnosis of brain death represents a cause of deficiency of organs for transplant. In this prospective study we evaluate the role of Doppler sonography, to investigate typical velocimetric profiles of brain death, and to evaluate the delay between finding the typical profiles and diagnosis expressed according to law. In this ongoing study, we evaluated 32 patients affected from serious primitive intracranial diseases (Glasgow Coma Scale < or = 7). Of the 32 patients examined, 18 underwent or still remained in brain death. All the patients showed typical profiles, classified in 3 fundamental types. Start of monitoring, according to the current law, showed a delay from 12 to 27 hours. The authors conclude that Transcranial Doppler and Doppler c.w. represent an early and sensitive technique, rightly to include in the procedure of the diagnosis of brain death.