The number of organ transplantation has risen exponentially in the last few decades. The concept of brain death and the ability to harvest vital organs in a limited time have contributed to the recent success. In this review, we attempt to delineate the criteria for brain death as well as the testing methodology. The challenges and the legal aspects related to organ donation have also been discussed.
Wijdicks EF, Varelas PN, Gronseth GS, et al. American academy of neurology. evidence-based guideline update: determining brain death in adults: report of the quality standards subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology 2010;74(23):1911–1918. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181e242a8.
Shroff S. Legal and ethical aspects of organ donation and transplantation. Indian J Urol 2009;25(3):348–355. DOI: 10.4103/0970-1591.56203.
Transplantation of human organs act, 1994, act no 44 of 1994, Govt of India.
Machado C, Perez J, Scherle C, et al. Brain death diagnosis and apnea test safety. Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2009;12(3):197–200. DOI: 10.4103/0972-2327.56326.
Mori K, Shingu K, Nakao S. Brain death. In: Miller RD. Miller's Anaesthesia, ch. 98 7th ed., Philadelphia, PA: Churchill-Livingstone, Elsevier; 2010. p. 3007.
Wijdicks EFM. The diagnosis of brain death. N Engl J Med 2001;344(16):1215–1221. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM200104193441606.
Dwyer R, Calreavy F, Phelan D, Diagnosis of Brain death and Medical management of the Organ Donor. Guidelines for Adult patients 2010. Intensive care Society of Ireland. [Last accessed on 2015 Mar 02.
Smith M. Brain death. In: Bersten AD, Soni M. Oh's Intensive Care Manual, ch. 53 7th ed., Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann, Elsevier; 2014. pp. 591–596.
Saposnik G, Bueri JA, Mauriño J, et al. Spontaneous and reflex movements in brain death. Neurology 2000;54(1):221–223. DOI: 10.1212/wnl.54.1.221.
Segredo V, Caldwell JE, Matthay MA, et al. Persistent paralysis in critically ill patients after long-term administration of vecuronium. N Engl J Med 1992;327(8):524–528. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199208203270804.
Partridge BL, Abrams JH, Bazemore C, et al. Prolonged neuromuscular blockade after long-term infusion of vecuronium bromide in the intensive care unit. Crit Care Med 1990;18(10):1177–1179. DOI: 10.1097/00003246-199010000-00025.
Pallis C. Brainstem death. In: Braakman R. Head Injury. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, vol. 57, Amsterdam: Elsevier Science; 1990. pp. 441–496.
Sims JK, Bickford RG. Non-mydriatic pupils occurring in human brain death. Bull Los Angeles Neurol Soc 1973;38(1):24–32.
Sachdeva S. Organ donation in India: scarcity in abundance. Indian J Public Health 2017;61(4):299–301. DOI: 10.4103/ijph.IJPH_230_16.
Nallusamy S, Shyamalapriya, Balaji, et al. Organ donation – current Indian scenario. J Pract Cardiovasc Sci 2018;4(3):177–179. DOI: 10.4103/jpcs.jpcs_59_18.
Yadla M. Legal policies of organ transplantation in India: basics and beyond. Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl 2019;30(4):943–952. DOI: 10.4103/1319-2442.265472.
Shroff S. Twenty-five years of transplantation law in India – Progress and the way forward. I. ndian J Transplant 2019;13:151–153.
National Organ Transplant Program. Director General of Health Services India. Available from: http://www.dghs.gov.in/content/1353_3_NationalOrganTransplantProgramme.aspx.
Patel A, Balwani M, Patel H, et al. Deceased organ donation in india – current challenges and scenario. Indian J Transplant 2018;12(3): 174–176. DOI: 10.4103/ijot.ijot_26_18.