[Continuous pressure is preferred to flow triggering of respiration in the apnea test following the protocol for...

The apnea test is part of the brain death protocol of the National Health Council. If the patient is being given positive end-pressure respiration, he must not be uncoupled from the respirator. The apnea test should then be done by means of continuous positive airway pressure. Pressure triggering rather than the extremely sensitive flow triggering should then be chosen to trigger the respiration, since otherwise the patient may unjustifiably be declared 'not brain dead' as a result of slight aspecific movements (bumping against the bed, beating of the heart).