The Brain Death Toolkit includes a variety of helpful resources and educational
offerings, including instructional videos and web-based courses. It
also provides a sample brain death policy and checklist, which may be used as a
template for adoption at individual institutions/hospitals. We provide
resources to explain the pitfalls and challenges in brain death determination,
and have also included Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s), both for medical
practitioners and the general public.
This content was
developed by the NCS Brain Death Task Force as an educational tool and not as
a guideline or a policy. The principles of this content are based on the AAN
guideline which are generally accepted by the NCS as valid and appropriate.
Practitioners should refer to local ordinances that apply to the
diagnosis of death in the regions in which they practice.
Copyright 2014 Neurocritical Care Society, Updated 2017
Brain Death Toolkit
Brain Death: Frequently Asked Questions for Healthcare Professionals
Brain Death: Frequently Asked Questions for the General Public
Sample Brain Death Policy for Hospital Adaptation
Sample Brain Death Policy Checklist
Evidence-based guideline update: Determining brain death in adults: Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology
Article: Brain Death-Associated Reflexes and Automatisms
Article: Pitfalls in the Diagnosis of Brain Death
Death by Neurological Criteria (DNC) Online Course
Brain Death Examination
Apnea Testing in Brain Death: An Animation
Brain Death and Spinal Reflex (Triple Flexion Response)
Brain Death and Spinal Reflex (Leg Flexion with Neck Flexion)
Arm Tremor in Brain Death
Plantar Flexion Sign
