title: Somatic survival and organ donation among brain-dead patients in the state of Qatar.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Qatari law, as in many other countries, uses brain death as the main criteria for organ donation and cessation of medical support. By contrast, most of the public in Qatar do not agree with the limitation or withdrawal of medical care until the time of cardiac death. The current study aims to examine the duration of somatic survival after brain death, organ donation rate in brain-dead patients as well as review the underlying etiologies and level of support provided in the state of Qatar.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study of all patients diagnosed with brain death over a 10-year period conducted at the largest tertiary center in Qatar (Hamad General Hospital).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 53 patients who were diagnosed with brain death during the study period, the median and mean somatic survivals of brain-dead patients in the current study were 3 and 4.5 days respectively. The most common etiology was intracranial hemorrhage (45.3 %) followed by ischemic stroke (17 %). Ischemic stroke patients had a median survival of 11 days. Organ donation was accepted by only two families (6.6 %) of the 30 brain dead patients deemed suitable for organ donation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The average somatic survival of brain-dead patients is less than one week irrespective of supportive measures provided. Organ donation rate was extremely low among brain-dead patients in Qatar. Improved public education may lead to significant improvement in resource utilization as well as organ transplant donors and should be a major target area of future health care policies.
authors: Medical Intensive Care Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors: Saibu
authors: S
authors: George
authors: Pulmonary Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. mmts1983@gmail.com.
authors: Merlin
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8808-8750
authors: M
authors: Thomas
authors: Internal Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors: Wanis H
authors: WH
authors: Ibrahim
authors: Medical Intensive Care Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors: Ahmed
authors: A
authors: Abdussalam
authors: Medical Research Centre, Hamad Medical Corporation , Doha, Qatar.
authors: Prem
authors: P
authors: Chandra
authors: Medical Intensive Care Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors: Husain Shabbir
authors: HS
authors: Ali
authors: Medical Intensive Care Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors: Tasleem
authors: T
authors: Raza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001926:Brain Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011780:Qatar; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Brain dead; Organ donation; Somatic survival