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Neurológia pre prax 2/2025
Clinical determination of brain death – methodology of neurological examination and apnea test
We define brain death as a condition following catastrophic brain injury with permanent irreversible loss of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem. Diagnosis is based on clinical examination, where are completely unacceptable false negative individual tests that support irreversible brainstem involvement from the mesencephalon (photoreaction) to the pons Varoli (corneal, oculocephalic reflex and facial alginic irritation) to the medulla oblongata (gag and cough reflex). At present, the methodology for performing each examination is not clearly established. This article discusses the basic clinical examination in the determination of brain death and the apnea test. The publication also includes a set of videos that show a positive finding in the determination of brain death (absence of reflex) and a finding that is not compatible with brain death (presence of a normal response).
Keywords: brain death, neurological examination, apnea test, brain stem function, brain stem reflexes
