[The electroencephalogram is not an adequate test to confirm the diagnosis of brain death].
OBJECTIVE
In France, legislation mandates that the clinical diagnosis of brain death be confirmed by one paraclinical test before organ donation is allowed. That test may be either the electroencephalogram (EEG) or cerebral angiography. We report a case in which the clinical diagnosis of brain death was first confirmed by two EEGs performed according to the French guidelines, but ruled out by cerebral angiography. Considering that the EEG is no longer recommended to establish the diagnosis of brain death, we discuss the relevance of maintaining the EEG for brain death diagnosis in France.


RESULTS
A 58 yr-old man was admitted to the intensive care unit because of coma secondary to a massive subarachnoid hemorrhage with herniation below the falx shown by computed tomography. Clinical criteria of brain death were rapidly present. Two EEGs first confirmed the diagnosis but a four-vessel cerebral angiography was finally performed because the patient moved spontaneously. This cerebral angiography showed flow in the right internal carotid artery. A computed tomography performed the next day definitely confirmed the absence of brain death and organ donation did not occur.


CONCLUSIONS
This case demonstrates the limitations of the EEG for this indication and suggests that angiography should be preferred. French legislation is probably maladjusted and would benefit by incorporating guidelines of other countries like Canada. International harmonization of criteria for brain death diagnosis would also be welcome.
Rimmelé
Thomas
T
Département d'anesthésie-réanimation, Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Lyon, France. thmrimmele@aol.com
Malhière
Sophie
S
Ben Cheikh
Alexandre
A
Boselli
Emmanuel
E
Bret
Monique
M
Ber
Charles-Eric
CE
Petit
Paul
P
Allaouchiche
Bernard
B
D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply; D001926:Brain Death / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed