Brain death : medical management in seven Brazilian pediatric intensive care units

Objetivo: Avaliar a incidência de morte encefálica (ME), bem como as condutas e protocolos adotados após confirmação diagnóstica em sete unidades de tratamento intensivo pediátrico (UTIP) localizadas em três regiões brasileiras. Métodos: Estudo transversal e multicêntrico baseado na revisão e análise retrospectiva de prontuários de todos os óbitos ocorridos entre janeiro de 2003 e dezembro de 2004 em sete UTIP localizadas em Porto Alegre (duas), São Paulo (duas) e Salvador (três). Dois residentes de cada serviço previamente treinados preencheram protocolo padronizado avaliando dados demográficos, causa do óbito, critérios para diagnóstico de ME e conduta médica adotada. Resultados: Identificamos 525 óbitos, sendo 61 (11,6%) com diagnóstico de ME. A incidência deMEdiferiu entre as sete UTIP (24,2 a 4,5%; p = 0,015), porém sem diferença nas três regiões (12, 15 e 7%; p = 0,052). A causa mais freqüente foi hemorragia intracraniana (31,1%). Em 80% dos casos, o diagnóstico clínico de ME foi confirmado por exame complementar (100% na Região Sul, 68% na Sudeste e 72% na Nordeste, p = 0,02). A retirada de suporte vital após diagnóstico de ME diferiu nas três regiões, sendo mais rápida (p = 0,04) no Sul (1,8±1,9 h) que no Sudeste (28,6±43,2 h) e Nordeste (15,5±17,1 h). Apenas seis (9,8%) crianças com ME foram doadoras de órgãos. Conclusão: Apesar da lei que define critérios para ME existir no Brasil desde 1997, verificamos que ela não é obedecida uniformemente. Conseqüentemente, suporte vital desnecessário é ofertado a indivíduos já mortos,Objective: To assess the incidence of brain death (BD) and its medical management and adopted protocols after its diagnosis in seven pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) located in three Brazilian regions. Methods: A cross-sectional and multicenter study was conducted, based on the retrospective review of medical records regarding all deaths that occurred between January 2003 and December 2004 in seven Brazilian PICUs of tertiary hospitals located in Porto Alegre (two), São Paulo (two) and Salvador (three). Two pediatric intensive care residents from each hospital were previously trained and filled out a standard protocol for the investigation of demographic data, cause of death, diagnosis of BD, related protocols and subsequent medical management. Results: A total of 525 death patients were identified and 61 (11.6%) were defined as BD. The incidence of BD was different (p = 0.015) across the seven PICUs, but with no difference across the three regions. Intracranial hemorrhagewas the most frequent cause ofBD(31.1%). In80%of the cases the diagnosis of BDwas confirmed by complementary exams (south=100%, southeast = 68% and northeast = 72%; p = 0.02). The interval between the diagnosis of BD and the withdrawal of life support was different (p < 0.01) across the three regions, being faster (p=0.04) in the south (1.8±1.9 h) than in the southeast (28.6±43.2 h) and than in the northeast (15.5±17.1 h). Only six (9.8%) children with BD were organ donors. Conclusion: Although a Brazilian law defining the criteria for the determination of BD has been in place since 1997, we verified that it is not followed as strictly as it should be. Consequently, unnecessary life support is offered to deceased individuals, and there is a discrete involvement of PICUs in organ donation