Table 2 Confounding factors for the clinical brain death/death by neurologic criteria evaluation (from [13] with permission)
From: Quality improvement in the determination of death by neurologic criteria around the world
Disease process | Possible exam components confounded |
|---|---|
Hypothermia | Complete exam |
Muscular paralysis | Complete exam |
Sedation/analgesia | Complete exam |
Hypoxia | Complete exam |
Hypotension | Complete exam |
Hypoglycemia | Complete exam |
Endocrine or metabolic abnormality | Complete exam |
Basal skull fracture with hemotympanum | Oculovestibular reflex |
Facial trauma | Pupillary response, oculovestibular, and oculocephalic reflexes, cranial pain response |
Pulmonary injury/disease | Apnea test |
Cervical spine injury | Corporal pain response, apnea test |
Anophthalmia | Pupillary, corneal, oculovestibular, and oculocephalic reflexes |