title: [Diagnosis of brain death in the newborn and the child].
abstract: The purpose of this article was to sum up the problems raised by diagnosis of brain death in the child through a review of the literature. The clinical and paraclinical criteria of the diagnosis are considered in terms of the respective value and complementarity of different examinations. The fact that organ removal has become increasingly frequent in the child requires a rapid and reliable determination of the irreversibility of brain damage. The guidelines set up after conferences in which American authors participated to reach a consensus opinion relate to the child's age, the etiology, of the coma and the results of various paraclinical examinations. The diagnostic value of these examinations is assessed and the limitations of the various approaches are considered, particularly as regards certain etiologies in the newborn. It is suggested that it would be useful to inquire into the different diagnostic means used in France with respect to this difficult problem. Finally, the ethical and moral problems raised by some recent practices such as organ removal in anencephalic patients are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de physiologie appliquée aux explorations fonctionnelles, faculté de médecine, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Vecchierini-Blineau
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moussalli-Salefranque
mesh_terms: D001926:Brain Death / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D014463:Ultrasonography
vernacular_title: Diagnostic de la mort cérébrale chez le nouveau-né et l'enfant.