Brain death and withdrawal of support.
The definition of death has evolved to include the concept of brain death. The brainstem is an indispensable central integrative unit for all vital functions. The clinical criteria for brain death consist of the demonstration of the absence of function of the brainstem. Confirmatory testing, which mostly evaluates higher clinical function, is usually not required for the diagnosis of brain death.
Hammer
Maxim D
MD
The Stroke Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street, PUH-C-419, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. hammermd@upmc.edu
Crippen
David
D
D001926:Brain Death / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care; D011379:Prognosis