Brain death evaluation during the pandemic

If you present to a hospital with locked-in-syndrome you better hope this is known about and followed.

How Should Doctors Determine Brain Death? January 2019

AAN calls for uniform, guideline-based policies and practices

The latest here:

Brain death evaluation during the pandemic

Ibrahim Migdady, Alexander Rae-Grant, David M. Greer

First published July 30, 2020, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000010544

Full PDF

Citation

Permissions

Make Comment

See Comments

Downloads

0

• Article
• Info & Disclosures

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) may pose unique challenges to clinicians attempting to diagnose brain death in patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2. Among these challenges is the risk of aerosol generation during the traditional apnea testing using the insufflation technique, in addition to the risk of complications due to SARS-CoV-2-related lung disease. In this article, we discuss these challenges and provide further guidance to minimize such risks in order to ensure safety of health care professionals and other patients. We also emphasize the importance of maintaining the standards of brain death determination in this critical time.

• Received June 5, 2020.
• Accepted in final form July 21, 2020.

• © 2020 American Academy of Neurology