Brain death and organ and tissue donor management in the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Introduction: brain death is defined as the irreversible cessation of all brain and brainstem functions. The timely management and maintenance of these vital functions and correction of the physiopathological alterations of the potential donor make organ donation possible, providing a second chance to patients who depend on a transplant. Aim: to describe the concept of encephalic death in the patient and its current management as a potential organ and tissue donor in the intensive care unit. Methodology: a non-experimental, descriptive, literature review study was carried out.Results: the process of organ and tissue donation after encephalic death is a challenge in terms of diagnosis and subsequent hemodynamic management with the aim of maintaining tissue perfusion so that these have vitality and viability to be transplanted to the recipient patient.Conclusions: it is recommended to use an established brain death protocol and apply it correctly, to avoid legal problems. Once the diagnosis has been made, it is possible to carry out the evaluation to establish whether the patient is a donor candidate or not. The pathophysiological changes that appear in the process of BD make these critical patients to be managed with extreme care. Donor maintenance is a major challenge for all health personnel in the intensive care area, since its treatment is extremely complex and the availability of donors is limited compared to the high demand of recipient patients waiting for an organ