Brain death: nursing care

Abstract

Brain death means the irreversible end of every brain activity, and when it is determined following standard protocols, it poses the optimal opportunity to the organs donation, whenever there is the family members’ consent. The adequate patient’s hemodynamic maintenance performed both by the physician and the nursing staff is of utmost importance to the organs feasibility. Purposes: To describe the brain death determination criteria, as well as the standards to be used by the nursing care in keeping the organs feasibility. Methods: it was performed a search in the literature among the main international indexed database, looking for articles, resolutions and books covering such issue. Results: All patients with severe brain injury of known cause, Glasgow 3 coma, no brainstem reflexes, and apnea in two different clinical examinations and positive complementary test are potential organ donors. The nursing staff should be aware on the possible clinical complications that could damage the organs feasibility in brain death patients before these organs can be surgically removed. Conclusions: The brain death determination has ethical and legal aspects as to the organ donation. The maintenance of the organs feasibility of potential donors should be one of the main objectives in the medical care.