title: Effects of brain death on organ quality and transplant outcome.
abstract: The inferiority of organs from brain dead donors is reflected by impaired graft survival and patient outcome. Brain death effects hemodynamic stability, hormonal changes, and neuroimmunologic effects and unleashes a cascade of inflammatory events. Despite considerable efforts in experimental and clinical research, most of the mechanisms linked to brain death are only appreciated on a descriptive level. This overview presents our current understanding of the pathophysiology and consequences of brain death on organ injury and summarizes available therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Transplant Surgery Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical, School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Floerchinger
authors.forename: Rupert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oberhuber
authors.forename: Stefan G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Tullius
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001926:Brain Death / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003167:Complement Activation; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000503:physiopathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D006085:Graft Survival; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000502:physiology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000502:physiology; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000502:physiology; D016377:Organ Transplantation; D014019:Tissue Donors