Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Heart rate variability and the reaction of heart rate to atropine in brain dead patients

  • Brain death
  • Third generation of criteria Intracranial pressure
  • Published:
Neurosurgical Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Heart rate variation and the atropine test as an expression of the bulbar parasympathetic activity might complete the clinical examination in the diagnosis of brain death, but are certainly unreliable as confirmatory tests.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kero P.: Decreased heart rate variation in decerebration syndrome. Quantitative Clinical Criterion of brain death? Pediatrics 63: 307–311, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  2. Schwarz G.: Herzfrequenzvariabilität beim Hirntod. In: Gänshirt H.: Verhandlungen d. Dtsch. Ges. Neurol., Vol. 3, 1985

  3. Drory Y.: Electrocardiographic findings in brain death; description and presumed mechanisms. Chest. 67: 425–432, 1975

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Quacknine G.: Laboratory criteria of brain death. J. Neurosurgery 39: 429–433, 1973

    Google Scholar 

  5. Cardan C.: Testul cu atropina in aprecierea mortii cerebrale. Rev. Chir. 32: 393–397, 1983

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Cologne, Germany

    Siemens P. & H. H. Hilger

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cologne, Germany

    R. A. Frowein

  3. Medizinische Universitätsklinik Köln, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 9, D-5000, Köln 41, Germany

    Siemens P.

Authors
  1. Siemens P.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. H. Hilger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. A. Frowein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Siemens, P., Hilger, H.H. & Frowein, R.A. Heart rate variability and the reaction of heart rate to atropine in brain dead patients. Neurosurg. Rev. 12 (Suppl 1), 282–284 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01790662

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01790662

Keywords

Search

Navigation