1/210. Auditory brain-stem responses in brain death.Auditory brain-stem responses were measured by far-field recording techniques in 27 patients fulfilling the criteria of brain death. The responses were either absent or consisted of the presence of just the initial component (Wave I). Wave I, when present, was of normal amplitude but prolonged in latency. Four patients were followed over several days from a state of coma with evidence of preserved brain-stem and cerebral functions to a clinical state compatible with brain death. Auditory brain-stem responses were initially intact and then showed a decrease in amplitude and a prolongation of latency of the later components until finally Wave I was alone. Auditory brain-stem responses are an objective measure of one of the sensory pathways traversing the brain-stem and can be used to evaluate the functional states of the brain-stem in patients in whom the question of brain death has been raised.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/210. Organ recovery from a donor with presumed viral encephalitis: a case report and review.This article reviews the pathophysiology of viral encephalitis, which is specifically infectious to transplant recipients, and discusses the potential infectivity of donors who had this virus. In addition, the case report demonstrates one center's experience in placing organs from a donor who was presumed--but not confirmed--to have viral encephalitis. When a patient with viral encephalitis is considered for organ donation, it is recommended that a brain biopsy be obtained prior to organ placement to identify the suspected virus or confirm the absence of any viral entity.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.058823529411765keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/210. A matter of life and death: what every anesthesiologist should know about the medical, legal, and ethical aspects of declaring brain death.Accurate criteria for death are increasingly important as it becomes more difficult for the public to distinguish between patients who are still alive from those who, through the aid of medical technology, merely look like they are alive even though they are dead. patients and their families need to know that a clear line can be drawn between life and death, and that patients who are alive will not be unintentionally treated as though they are dead. For the public to trust the pronouncements of medical doctors as to whether a patient is dead or alive, the criteria must be unambiguous, understandable, and infallible. It is equally important to physicians that accurate, infallible criteria define death. physicians need to know that a clear line can be drawn between life and death so that patients who are dead are not treated as though they are alive. Such criteria enable us to terminate expensive medical care to corpses. Clear criteria for death also allow us to ethically request the gift of vital organs. Clear, infallible criteria allow us to assure families and society that one living person will not be intentionally or unintentionally killed for the sake of another. The pressure of organ scarcity must not lead physicians to allow the criteria for life and death to become blurred because of the irreparable harm this would cause to the patient-physician relationship and the devastating impact it could have on organ transplantation. As the cases presented here illustrate, anesthesiologists have an important responsibility in the process of assuring that some living patients are not sacrificed to benefit others. Criteria for declaring death should be familiar to every anesthesiologist participating in organ retrieval. Before accepting the responsibility of maintaining a donor for vital organ collection, the anesthesiologist should review data supplied in the chart supporting the diagnosis of brain death and seriously question inconsistencies and inadequate testing conditions. knowledge of brain death criteria and proper application of these criteria could have changed the course of each of the cases presented.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.35294117647059keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/210. Fetal brain death and Dandy-Walker malformation.The diagnosis of brain death by Doppler ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging is reported in a fetus at 23 weeks' gestation. This is believed to be the first instance in which brain death has been shown in a premature fetus with a brain-stem anomaly.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.41176470588235keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/210. Cerebral arteriovenous malformation in pregnancy: presentation and neurologic, obstetric, and ethical significance.Cerebral arteriovenous malformations infrequently complicate pregnancy. We sought to determine the neurologic, obstetric, and ethical significance of such malformations. We present the clinical course of 2 pregnant women with arteriovenous malformations who experienced cerebral hemorrhage and a loss of capacity for decision making. We also review the neurologic and obstetric significance of arteriovenous malformations in pregnancy. Various treatment options with concern for pregnancy and the prognosis for arteriovenous malformations are outlined. The ethical issues involved for pregnant patients whose decisional capacity is compromised as a result of cerebral injury are explored. A review of persistent vegetative state and brain death (death by neurologic criteria) occurring in pregnancy allows us to explore many issues that are applicable to decisionally incapacitated but physiologically functioning pregnant women. We outline a document, the purpose of which is to obtain advance directives from pregnant women regarding end-of-life decisions and to appoint a surrogate decision maker. We believe that evaluation and treatment of the arteriovenous malformation may be undertaken without regard for the pregnancy and that the pregnancy should progress without concern for the arteriovenous malformation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.058869452948015keywords = brain, injury (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/210. Familial fatal and near-fatal third ventricle colloid cysts.BACKGROUND: Despite having a presumed congenital origin, familial cases of colloid cysts have been reported only rarely. The first case of a brother and sister with colloid cysts is reported here, and the relevant literature is reviewed. methods: A 25-year-old man presented with a 24-h history of headache and vomiting. He rapidly became unconscious and fulfilled the criteria for brain death on arrival at hospital. No surgical intervention was performed. RESULTS: The patient's sister presented at the age of 41 with headaches and rapidly became unconscious. The sister had urgent bilateral ventriculostomies. followed by transcallosal removal of a colloid cyst. CONCLUSIONS: These cases support the hypothesis that colloid cysts are congenital lesions and provide some evidence of a possible genetic predisposition to their formation. Sudden death remains a real risk for patients harbouring a colloid cyst.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.058823529411765keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/210. First brain dead donor heart transplantation under new legislation in japan.The first heart transplantation was carried out in japan successfully, after the brain death and organ transplantation law was settled in 1997. The recipient patient was a 47-year-old man with the dilated phase of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who had been on a Novacor implantable left ventricular assist system for the previous 4 months. Since the donor hospital was about 200 km from the recipient hospital which took approximately 2 hours for transportation, the total ischemic time was 3 hours and 24 minutes. The post-transplant course was smooth, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 75.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.29411764705882keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/210. diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in brain death.BACKGROUND; Traditionally the diagnosis of brain death is established on the basis of a combination of clinical signs and paraclinical methods. diffusion-weighted MRI is a new method sensitive to cerebral ischemia. Its value in brain death has not been demonstrated until now. CASE DESCRIPTION: A patient was referred to MRI with suspicion of a brain stem stroke. Echo-planar whole-brain, multislice, diffusion-weighted MRI was performed in addition to conventional sequences and MR angiography sequences. In addition to the extensive bilateral hyperintensities observed on T2-weighted images, diffusion-weighted MRI showed diffuse hyperintensities involving both hemispheres as well as a severe drop in the apparent diffusion coefficient in both affected hemispheres. There was also transtentorial herniation with compression of the brain stem as well as absence of flow voids on the T2-weighted images and absence of intracranial vessels on MR angiography. On the basis of the clinical and imaging findings, it was concluded that the patient was in a state of brain death. The patient died the same day. CONCLUSIONS: With the use of new fast techniques such as diffusion-weighted imaging, now MRI can not only display anatomic changes associated with severe brain suffering but can also demonstrate ultrastructural changes secondary to brain death and differentiate them from edematous changes seen on T2-weighted images.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.70588235294118keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/210. Fatal cerebroembolism from nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis in a trauma patient: case report and review.Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) is a rare condition that may result in an unexpected and usually fatal cerebroembolism. It occurs in a variety of clinical situations, including malignancy, immune disorders, and sepsis, but it has rarely been reported after trauma. The formation of NBTE appears to require a hypercoagulable state and changes in valvular morphology, e.g., during a hyperdynamic state. patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation have a 21% incidence of NBTE. Although NBTE is usually found at autopsy, premorbid detection by echocardiography is currently possible and feasible. Untreated patients have a high incidence of embolic events, but anticoagulation with heparin may be life-saving. A lethal case of NBTE in a severely injured patient is reported here with the purpose of increasing awareness among medical personnel caring for trauma patients. Recommendations have been made for surveillance echocardiography in high-risk patients, e.g., critically ill patients with sepsis or disseminated intravascular coagulation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3.7119887114807E-6keywords = trauma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/210. liver donation by a trauma patient: a case study in placement.Currently, more than 64,000 people are awaiting transplants in the united states. Transplant coordinators must do everything possible to ensure that viable organs from consented donors are transplanted. To evaluate donors and organ function, transplant coordinators rely on a multitude of diagnostic tests to determine donor organ suitability. How reliable are the results of these tests? The following case study presents an incident in which diagnostic test results were not accurate; as a result, transplant centers deferred what turned out to be a normal, atraumatic organ. The end result was that this organ was placed, but only after actual visualization in the operating room and the granting of full waivers to the transplanting center.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3.0933239262339E-6keywords = trauma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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