The World Brain Death Project: Answering the Wrong Questions

August 31, 2020

(MedPage Today) – We neurologists never understand why brain death gets attacked. For years, we’ve pointed to inconsistencies in how it’s diagnosed, and we keep hoping that a uniform standard will restore public confidence. The World Brain Death Project (WBDP) has now created that standard, but at least here in the U.S, our problems are not going away. After bringing together experts from world federations in relevant specialties, the WBDP developed consensus criteria on diagnosing brain death (also called death by neurologic criteria or DNC) in adults and children, in therapeutic hypothermia and in a variety of clinical situations, new and old. However, some key concerns only get addressed tangentially.