[Brain death: attitude and knowledge of medical personnel in a third level hospital].
BACKGROUND
Brain death is defined as the irreversible loss of all functions of the brain, including the brainstem. The objective is to know the attitude and knowledge toward brain death of the medical personnel involved in the process of the organ/tissue transplantation and donation in a third level hospital of Mexico City.


METHODS
67 attending physicians were interviewed with the methodology of pen, paper and a printed questionnaire. They were distributed in two groups: group A, consisting of non-surgical physicians, and group B, which was formed by surgical physicians. It was analyzed the attitude and knowledge of the criteria established in the Ley General de Salud (General Law of Health) of Mexico. Thirty-five men and 32 women (median age 42 years) responded to the survey.


RESULTS
More than 90 % of both groups would wish to participate in a brain death course, and they would accept to be potential donors or receptors of transplanted organs. A high percentage knows partially the law on brain death (Ley General de Salud) and clinical procedures. Of the interviewed population, 68 % does not know the standard complementary studies to confirm the diagnosis of brain death. Non-significant differences were observed in the attitude and knowledge of both groups (p = 0.170).


CONCLUSIONS
Physicians must improve their knowledge on brain death.
Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional La Raza, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de México, México. sanvemart2@gmail.com.
Martín
M
Santibáñez-Velázquez
Erika
E
Olguín-Sánchez
Adrián
A
Ángeles-Vélez
Bertha Angélica
BA
García-García
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001926:Brain Death; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D016377:Organ Transplantation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement
Brain death; Medical legislation; Mexico