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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Apnea testing is the last step of brain death assessment. This study aimed to determine whether apnea testing is safer when performed over a shorter duration.
METHODS: The medical records of 200 brain-dead donors were retrospectively evaluated. All the records were anonymously registered in the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare from 1999 to 2012. The rate of PaCO2 increase was analyzed to calculate the duration required for apnea testing.
RESULTS: At baseline, body temperature and PaO2 significantly affected the increase rate of PaCO2. At baseline, the apnea testing durations were 4.7 min with normal body temperature and higher PaO2 (PaCO2 40–60 mm Hg, body temperature 36.5°C, PaO2 400 mm Hg); further, it was 3.0 min with higher body temperature and lower PaO2 at baseline (PaCO2 40–60 mm Hg, body temperature 38.0°C, PaO2 100 mm Hg).
CONCLUSIONS: The specific duration of apnea testing during brain death assessment may be predicted by measuring the increase rate of PaCO2.
Footnotes
- Correspondence: Katsuyuki Sagishima MD. E-mail: saggy{at}kuh.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
- Copyright © 2021 by Daedalus Enterprises
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