Korean J Anesthesiol.  1995 Nov;29(5):718-723. 10.4097/kjae.1995.29.5.718.

Analysis of the Complications of 6 Brain-dead Patients

• Cho HS
• Lee KH
• Lee SC
• Kwak IY

• KMID: 2299234
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.1995.29.5.718

Abstract

Brain death is irreversible coma due to injury of brain hemisphere and brain stem regardless of any treatment. In brain-dead patients, acute respiratory failure frequently results from capillary endothelial damage in the lung and diabetes insipidus and hypothermia occur due to brain stem compression injury. Ultimately, it has been known that the brain-dead patients progress to multiple organ failure. The primary goal of organ donor management is maintenance of optimal physiologic environment for organs prior to recovery. This study is performed for suggesting the guideline of the prediction and management of complications in the brain-dead patient. We analyzed 6 brain-dead patients waiting for organ donation in the intensive care unit. The causes of brain death among the donors consisted of closed head injury in 4 patients, subarachnoid hemorrhage in 1, and drowning in l. AaDO2(alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference) and PaO2F1O2 (arterial oxygen tension/fractional inspired O2 concentration) were analyzed to demonstrate the progress of respiratory failure. Body temperature, vital signs, urine output, serum osmolality, serum K(+), serum Na(+), AST(aspartate aminotransferase), ALT(alanine aminotransferase), BUN(blood urea nitrogen) and creatinine were also analyzed in all patients. Diabetes insipidus were found in 5 patients and hypothermia in 4 patients. AaDO increased and PaO2/F1O2 decreased in 5 patients with time. Hepato-renal function remained relatively normal during observation. We concluded that brain-dead patients rapidly progressed to acute respiratory failure. It can be suggested that for successeful organ transplantation, organ procurement should be performed as soon as possible after brain death was confirmed.

Keyword

Brain death; Diabetes insipidus; Hypothermia; Respiratory failure

MeSH Terms

Body Temperature
Brain
Brain Death
Brain Stem
Capillaries
Creatinine
Diabetes Insipidus
Drowning
Head Injuries, Closed
Humans
Hypothermia
Intensive Care Units
Lung
Multiple Organ Failure
Organ Transplantation
Osmolar Concentration
Oxygen
Respiratory Insufficiency
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Tissue and Organ Procurement
Tissue Donors
Transplants
Urea
Vital Signs
Creatinine
Oxygen
Urea