Diagnosis of brain death using with confirmatory test

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K10525
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General surgery
• Research Institution: Nippon Medical School
• Principal Investigator: Yokota Hiroyuki 日本医科大学, 大学院医学研究科, 大学院教授 (60182698)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 脳死判定 / 臓器提供 / 電気生理学的検査 / 聴性脳幹反応

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The number of organ transplantation is increasing under the revised organ transplantation law, but the number is very small comparing with that of USA or the countries of Europe.Cases not to be able to evaluate the brainstem reflex, such as cases with the injury of the eye, or cervical cord, cannot make diagnosis according the Criteria of Japan establish at 1985.
We enrolled the patients admitted to our department with no response, or Ⅰwave alone, or Ⅰ and Ⅱ wave alone of the auditory brainstem response (ARB) and the evaluated the significance of ABR as the ancillary test for the diagnosis of brain death. Our results suggested ABR has the usefulness and potentiality as the ancillary test for the diagnosis of brain death and suggested the risk of false-positive using ABR alone for the diagnosis of brain death.

Free Research Field

救急医学、脳神経外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

電気生理学的検査で脳幹反射の代替となり得ることが可能か、そして眼球損傷、聴覚障害、頸髄損傷など様々な理由で脳幹反射が評価できない場合でも、脳死判定が可能となるかを検討した。本研究の成果は本邦の脳死判定基準の補完の可能性を示唆したもので、本人の生前意思や家族の脳死下臓器提供への希望を実現し、更なる検討は必要であるが脳死下臓器提供と提供数の大幅な増加に寄与し、脳死下臓器提供数の増加に寄与するものである。