Usefulness of EEG in the evaluation of brain death in children: the pros

Abstract

The confirmatory tests most frequently used in the evaluation of the cerebral function are cerebral blood flow (CBF) studies and the EEG. Absence of CBF by 4-vessel angiography is considered to be the most reliable test to determine cerebral death but the logistics of obtaining this study preclude its use. The accuracy and reliability of the EEG in the diagnosis of brain death have been frequently questioned (Drake et al. 1986; Vernon and Holtzman 1986) despite the existence of studies