The Determination of Death
Collaborative Donation Process
The hospital that takes ownership seeks to ensure that treatment is not "decelerated" on patients for who continued treatment is deemed to be futile until NORS has evaluated the patient as a potential candidate to donate and the family has been given the opportunity to choose donation.
The Physician's Role
The primary role of the physician is to determine and declare brain death. Confirmatory tests are at the discretion of the physician. Tests to determine brain death include:
- A clinical exam, which is required in the State of Nebraska
- EEG or CBF, although these are not mandatory
- Any other tests required by Hospital Policy and Procedure
Once brain death has been determined, a licensed physician must document it. The notes should state, "Patient is Brain Dead" and should be signed with date and time of declaration. Test(s) performed to determine brain death should also be documented.
Nebraska Uniform Determination of Death Act (1992)
LB 906 Sec. 2.
Only an individual who has sustained either (1) irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, or (2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem, is dead. A determination of death must be made in accordance with accepted medical standards.