title: Anaesthetic management of the brain dead for organ donation.
abstract: An increasing number of anaesthetists is being called upon to manage organ donors during organ retrieval procedures. We briefly describe the technical aspects of the surgical procedure together with a guide to the anaesthetic management. The aims of the latter may be summarized as the "Rule of 100": systolic blood pressure greater than 100 mmHg, urine output greater than 100 ml.hr-1, PaO2 greater than 100 mmHg, haemoglobin concentration greater than 100 g.L-1. Common management problems (hypotension, arrhythmias, diabetes insipidus, oliguria, and coagulopathy) are discussed in detail. The intraoperative management of the brain-dead organ donor provides the anaesthetist with the challenge of a major surgical procedure in a subject with important physiological derangements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Gelb
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia; D001926:Brain Death / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative; D014019:Tissue Donors