Brain death

Background Brain death is defined as the complete and irreversible loss of brain and brainstem function, although other organ systems in the body may continue to function. Following the onset of brain death, brainstem reflexes are lost sequentially in a craniocaudal direction. Aim This investigation aimed to compare clinical diagnostic criteria-specifically brainstem reflexes, such as the pupillary response to light, the corneal reflex, and motor responses to pain stimulation-with the instrumental confirmatory test for brain death using cerebral angiography. Materials and Methods A group of 30 patients who underwent cerebral angiography to confirm brain death was reviewed. Early clinical tests indicating brain death were compared with the final confirmatory tests using cerebral catheter angiography in the same patient population. Results The initial clinical tests indicating brain death corresponded with the final instrumental confirmatory tests in all patients. Conclusion Neurological tests assessing motor responses to painful stimuli, the corneal reflex, and the pupillary light response proved to be as reliable for diagnosing brain death as cerebral angiography.