title: Is organ donation from brain dead donors reaching an inescapable and desirable nadir?
abstract: The brain dead patient is the ideal multiorgan donor. Conversely, brain death (BD) is an undesirable outcome of critical care medicine. Conditions that can lead to the state of BD are limited. An analysis showed that a (aneurysmal) subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, or intracerebral hemorrhage in 83% precede the state of BD. Because of better prevention and treatment options, we should anticipate on an inescapable and desirable decline of BD. In this article, we offer arguments for this statement and discuss alternatives to maintain a necessary level of donor organs for transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. e.j.o.kompanje@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: Erwin J O
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kompanje
authors.forename: Yorick J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bakker
mesh_terms: D001926:Brain Death; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control; D003643:Death; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement