Diagnosing brain death: the importance of documenting clinical test results.
Eighty-three cases of brain stem death referred to the South Thames Transplant Co-ordination Service were audited to determine the quality of brain stem death test records. Documentation of brain stem death tests were complete in only 41 (44%) cases at the time of referral. There was no significant difference in completeness, whether documentation was in patient's notes or on a designated checklist (p = 0.14). There were a greater number of omissions when the tests were documented in patient's notes rather than on a form (p = 0.01). There is a necessity to improve the quality of brain stem death test documentation in order to facilitate organ donation and safeguard the integrity of brain stem death testing. This requires a commitment by clinicians to improve the quality of documentation, which can be accomplished by recording all aspects of brain stem death tests, including the conclusion on a single designated checklist.
Keogh
A T
AT
Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Queen Mary's Hospital, Kent, UK.
Akhtar
T M
TM
D001926:Brain Death / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement