title: [Evaluation of medical students knowledge on brain death].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Because brain death (BD) is a new concept and little divulged, its not well accepted in general population, including doctors and Medical students. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge of a sample of Medical students on the Brazilian BD diagnosis protocol.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive cross-sectional survey that evaluated students from two medical schools in Salvador-BA. We used a questionnaire composed by questions about technical and ethical knowledge contained in the Federal Council of Medicines Resolution nº 1480/97 that establishes the criteria for BD diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated 115 Medical students. In 14 questions about the knowledge of BD criteria, the mean of right answers were 6.7 ± 1.8, which were higher among the students that had attended some presentation on BD. Most of the students (87.4%) knew how to identify the candidates to the BD diagnosis protocol. However, only 5.2% and 16.1% of the students answered right, respectively, the clinical and complementary tests that should be accomplished during the diagnosis protocol. Facing a no-donor patient with confirmed diagnosis of BD, 66.4% referred that artificial life support should be suspended. Only 15% of the interviewed students had already evaluated a patient with BD, being this percentage higher among those who had already frequented ICU (38.2% versus 5.1%; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study showed a limited knowledge of the evaluated students on BD diagnosis criteria, mainly in relation to the practical approach of this condition.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, UFBA.
authors.forename: Almir Galvão Vieira
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Bitencourt
authors.affiliation: Liga Acadêmica de Medicina da Bahia.
authors.forename: Flávia Branco Cerqueira Serra
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: Liga Acadêmica de Medicina da Bahia.
authors.forename: Larissa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Durães
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, UFBA.
authors.forename: Diego Teixeira
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.affiliation: Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública.
authors.forename: Nedy Maria Branco Cerqueira
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: UTI Pediátrica, Hospital Aliança.
authors.forename: Lara de Araújo
authors.initials: Lde A
authors.lastname: Torreão
authors.affiliation: Associação de Medicina Intensiva Brasileira.
authors.forename: Sydney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agareno