A 40-year-old man is admitted to ICU following a severe traumatic brain injury. He is intubated and ventilated. On day 3, he has absent brainstem refl...

Question

A 40-year-old man is admitted to ICU following a severe traumatic brain injury. He is intubated and ventilated. On day 3, he has absent brainstem reflexes. The consultant wishes to perform brainstem death testing. According to the UK Code of Practice for the Diagnosis and Confirmation of Death (Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, 2008), which of the following is a prerequisite for brainstem death testing?

Accepted Answer

There must be a known, irremediable cause of brain damage, and all reversible causes of coma must be excluded

Answer

The patient must have been on ICU for at least 72 hours

Answer

An EEG must confirm electrocerebral silence before clinical testing

Answer

A CT angiogram must confirm absent cerebral blood flow

Answer

Core temperature must be above 37°C

uk-fficm MCQ (SBA): Brainstem Death Testing