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Benefits of combination of electroencephalography, short latency somatosensory evoked potentials, and transcranial Doppler techniques for confirming brain death

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Abstract

Objective

Optimization of combining electroencephalography (EEG), short latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SLSEP) and transcranial Doppler (TCD) techniques to diagnose brain death.

Methods

One hundred and eleven patients (69 males, 42 females) from the major hospitals of Zhejiang Province were examined with portable EEG, SLSEP and TCD devices. Re-examinations occurred ≤12 h later.

Results

The first examination revealed that the combination of SLSEP and EEG led to more sensitive diagnoses than the combination of SLSEP and TCD. Re-examination confirmed this and also revealed that the combination of TCD and EEG was the most sensitive.

Conclusion

The results show that using multiple techniques to diagnose brain death is superior to using single method, and that the combination of SLSEP and EEG is better than other combinations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China

    Kang Wang, Yuan Yuan, Zi-qi Xu & Ben-yan Luo

  2. Intensive Care Unit, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China

    Xiao-liang Wu

Authors
  1. Kang Wang
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  2. Yuan Yuan
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  3. Zi-qi Xu
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  4. Xiao-liang Wu
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  5. Ben-yan Luo
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Correspondence to Ben-yan Luo.

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Wang, K., Yuan, Y., Xu, Zq. et al. Benefits of combination of electroencephalography, short latency somatosensory evoked potentials, and transcranial Doppler techniques for confirming brain death. J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B 9, 916–920 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B0820123

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B0820123

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