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To Accelerate the Process of Brain Death Determination in China Through the Strategy and Practice of Establishing Demonstration Hospitals

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Abstract

Background

Our objective was to explore whether a brain death determination (BDD) strategy with demonstration hospitals can accelerate the process of BDD in China.

Methods

We proposed the construction standards for the BDD quality control demonstration hospitals (BDDHs). The quality and quantity of BDD cases were then analyzed.

Results

A total of 107 BDDHs were established from 2013 to 2022 covering 29 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities under jurisdiction of the central government of the Chinese mainland (except Qinghai and Tibet). A total of 1,948 professional and technical personnel from these 107 BDDHs received training in BDD, 107 quality control personnel were trained in the quality control management of BDD, and 1,293 instruments for electroencephalography, short-latency somatosensory evoked potential recordings, and transcranial Doppler imaging were provided for BDD. A total of 6,735 BDD cases were submitted to the quality control center. Among the nine quality control indicators for BDD in these cases, the implementation rate, completion rate, and coincidence rate of apnea testing increased the most, reaching 99%.

Conclusions

The strategy of constructing BDDHs to promote BDD is feasible and reliable. Ensuring quality and quantity is a fundamental element for the rapid and orderly popularization of BDD in China.

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Funding

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Neurocritical Care Unit, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 10053, China

    Yingying Su, Weibi Chen, Yan Zhang, Linlin Fan, Gang Liu, Fei Tian, Huijin Huang & Lili Cui

  2. Brain Death Determination Quality Control Demonstration Hospital Alliance, Beijing, China

    Yingying Su, Weibi Chen, Yan Zhang, Linlin Fan, Gang Liu, Fei Tian, Huijin Huang, Lili Cui, Caiyun Gao, Yuying Su & Yajuan Hu

  3. Department of Neurology, Neurocritical Care Unit, Inner Mongolia People’s Hospital, Huhhot, China

    Caiyun Gao

  4. Department of Neurology, Neurocritical Care Unit, People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China

    Yuying Su

  5. Department of Neurology, Neurocritical Care Unit, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China

    Yajuan Hu

  6. Department of Neurology, Liangxiang Hospital of Beijing Fangshan District, Beijing, China

    Hongbo Chen

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  1. Yingying Su
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  2. Weibi Chen
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  3. Yan Zhang
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  4. Linlin Fan
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  7. Huijin Huang
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  8. Lili Cui
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  9. Caiyun Gao
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  10. Yuying Su
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Contributions

Conception and design of the study: YS. Acquisition of data: YZ, WC, FT, LF, GL, HH, CG, YS. Analysis and interpretation of data: YS, HH, CG, YS, YH. Drafting of the article or critical revision for important intellectual content: YS, WC, HH, YZ, FT, LF, GL, CG, YS, YH, HC. All authors approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yingying Su.

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Su, Y., Chen, W., Zhang, Y. et al. To Accelerate the Process of Brain Death Determination in China Through the Strategy and Practice of Establishing Demonstration Hospitals. Neurocrit Care (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12028-023-01908-w

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