Article
Surgery
Catrin Sohrabi, Ginimol Mathew, Nicola Maria, Ahmed Kerwan, Thomas Franchi, Riaz A. Agha
Summary: The Surgical CAse REport (SCARE) guidelines were first published in 2016 to provide surgeons with a standardized and comprehensive way to document and report their surgical cases. Through a Delphi consensus exercise, the guidelines were updated to ensure their relevance and value. A total of 54 participants were invited and 44 (81.5%) completed the survey, with 36 items (83.7%) meeting the inclusion threshold.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SURGERY
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
Sam D. Shemie, Lindsay C. Wilson, Laura Hornby, John Basmaji, Andrew J. Baker, Cecile M. Bensimon, Jennifer A. Chandler, Michael Chasse, Rosanne Dawson, Sonny Dhanani, Owen T. Mooney, Aimee J. Sarti, Christy Simpson, Jeanne Teitelbaum, Sylvia Torrance, J. Gordon Boyd, Joanne Brennan, Heather Brewster, Robert Carignan, Kirk J. Dawe, Christopher J. Doig, Kennedy Elliott-Pohl, Teneille E. Gofton, Michael Hartwick, Andrew Healey, Kimia Honarmand, Karen Hornby, George Isac, Aly Kanji, Joann Kawchuk, Jennifer A. Klowak, Andreas H. Kramer, Julie Kromm, Allana E. LeBlanc, Katarina Lee-Ameduri, Laurie A. Lee, Murdoch Leeies, Ariane Lewis, Alex Manara, Shauna Matheson, Nicole K. A. McKinnon, Nicholas Murphy, Joel Neves Briard, Thaddeus M. Pope, Mypinder S. Sekhon, Jai Jai S. Shanker, Gurmeet Singh, Jeffrey Singh, Marat Slessarev, Karim Soliman, Stephanie Sutherland, Matthew J. Weiss, Randi Zlotnik Shaul, Lionel S. Zuckier, David J. Zorko, Bram Rochwerg
Summary: This 2023 Clinical Practice Guideline provides the biomedical definition of death based on permanent cessation of brain function and recommends death determination methods for potential organ donors based on circulatory criteria and for all mechanically ventilated patients based on neurologic criteria, regardless of organ donation potential. This Guideline is endorsed by various medical associations and organizations in Canada.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANESTHESIA-JOURNAL CANADIEN D ANESTHESIE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Ketty Peris, Maria Concetta Fargnoli, Roland Kaufmann, Petr Arenberger, Lars Bastholt, Nicole Basset Seguin, Veronique Bataille, Lieve Brochez, Veronique del Marmol, Reinhard Dummer, Ana-Marie Forsea, Caroline Gaudy-Marqueste, Catherine A. Harwood, Axel Hauschild, Christoph Hoeller, Lidija Kandolf, Nicole W. J. Kellerners-Smeets, Aimilios Lallas, Ulrike Leiter, Josep Malvehy, Branka Marinovic, Zeljko Mijuskovic, David Moreno-Ramirez, Eduardo Nagore, Paul Nathan, Alexander J. Stratigos, Eggert Stockfleth, Luca Tagliaferri, Myrto Trakatelli, Ricardo Vieira, Iris Zalaudek, Claus Garbe, EADO, EDF, ESTRO, UEMS, V EAD
Summary: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor in white populations. This article provides updated recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of BCC, including classification, surgical treatment, topical therapies, and the use of hedgehog inhibitors and immunotherapy. Regular skin examinations and long-term follow-up are also recommended for high-risk patients.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Kimberly E. Sawyer, Stephanie A. Kraft, Aaron G. Wightman, Jonna D. Clark
Summary: Pediatric palliative care providers play a crucial role in supporting families and medical teams facing potential brain death or DNC diagnosis, but the concept definitions and legal challenges surrounding DNC remain controversial. Families may dispute DNC for various reasons, leading to inherent and unique challenges that require intervention by interdisciplinary palliative care teams.
JOURNAL OF PAIN AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Review
Anesthesiology
Gea Drost, Anthony R. Absalom, Michael A. Kuiper
Summary: This article provides a brief history and an update on the diagnosis and definitions of brain death/death by neurologic criteria (DNC). There are variations in determining brain death worldwide, but recent efforts have been made to harmonize the criteria and improve public trust. An international collaboration has developed minimum criteria, provided guidance, and encouraged the revision or development of guidelines. Consensus has been reached on the minimum criteria, although some inconsistencies and questions remain.
CURRENT OPINION IN ANESTHESIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Anesthesiology
Aimee Sarti, Stephanie Sutherland, Maureen Meade, Laura C. Hornby, Lindsay Wilson, Angele Landriault, Brandi Vanderspank-Wright, Sabira Valiani, Sean J. Keenan, Matthew Weiss, Kim Werestiuk, Stephen H. Beed, Andreas Kramer, Joann Kawchuk, Pierre Cardinal, Sonny Dhanani, Ken Lotherington, Giuseppe Pagliarello, Michael Chasse, Mary Gatien, Kim A. Parsons, Jennifer Chandler, Peter Nickerson, Same Shemie
Summary: This qualitative study explored family members' understanding of brain death and death determination in Canadian ICUs. Through in-depth interviews with 179 family members, six main themes were identified. The study highlights the importance of effective communication at key moments to help families understand and accept death determination.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANESTHESIA-JOURNAL CANADIEN D ANESTHESIE
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
E. O. Thomas, A. Manara, R. A. Dineen, A. Mortimer, O. Aziz, P. Dean, P. Elliott, D. M. Summers, P. C. Whitfield, P. J. Hutchinson, D. Gardiner
Summary: This multidisciplinary consensus statement was developed to provide a UK guideline for ancillary investigation in diagnosing death using neurological criteria. The panel recommended cerebral CT angiography as the preferred investigation when clinical criteria alone cannot confirm death. The technique and reporting template for this investigation are provided.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Calixto Machado
Summary: The paper by Lewis et al. discussed countries in the Latin America/Caribbean Group of the United Nations (GRULAC) with protocols for brain death/death by neurologic criteria (BD/DNC), but surprisingly did not mention Cuba, a country actively involved in this area since the early '90s. Cuba has a long history of kidney transplants and has held continuous symposiums on brain death since 1992. Cuban researchers have proposed innovative concepts and ancillary tests for BD/DNC diagnosis, leading to the development of a Cuban law on death determination.
CLINICAL NEUROLOGY AND NEUROSURGERY
(2021)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
William N. Sveen, Armand H. Matheny Antommaria, Stephen J. Gilene, Erika L. Stalets
Summary: This study aimed to report the prevalence of adverse events in children undergoing apnea testing as part of the determination of death by neurologic criteria (DNC). The results showed that adverse events occurred in 21 out of 105 apnea tests (20%), with hypotension (14%) and hypoxia (4%) being the most common. Only 5% of the adverse events required premature termination, and the remaining 15% were resolved with medical care.
PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Anesthesiology
Joel Neves Briard, Roy Nitulescu, Emile Lemoine, Polina Titova, Lauralyn McIntyre, Shane W. English, Greg Knoll, Sam D. Shemie, Claudio Martin, Alexis F. Turgeon, Francois Lauzier, Dean A. Fergusson, Michael Chasse
Summary: The purpose of this study was to synthesize the sensitivity and specificity of commonly used ancillary tests for death determination by neurologic criteria. The results showed that there is significant heterogeneity in the diagnostic accuracy of ancillary tests, and most estimates have high statistical uncertainty. High-quality studies are needed to validate the accuracy of ancillary tests for death determination by neurologic criteria.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANESTHESIA-JOURNAL CANADIEN D ANESTHESIE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jacob N. Schroder, Sarah Scheuer, Pedro Catarino, Arthur Caplan, Scott C. Silvestry, Valluvan Jeevanandam, Stephen Large, Ashish Shah, Peter Macdonald, Mark S. Slaughter, Yoshifumi Naka, Carmelo A. Milano
Summary: This article discusses the renewed application of donation after circulatory death (DCD) in cardiac transplantation, highlighting the current progress and areas that require further research. It also provides an overview of the current status and trends of heart transplantation in the United States and globally.
JOURNAL OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY
(2023)
Review
Anesthesiology
Lionel S. Zuckier, Nicole K. McKinnon
Summary: Radionuclide perfusion studies play an established ancillary role in determining death by neurologic criteria (DNC), but are not well understood outside of imaging specialties. This review aims to clarify concepts and provide a lexicon of terminology for non-nuclear medicine practitioners to better understand these examinations.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANESTHESIA-JOURNAL CANADIEN D ANESTHESIE
(2023)
Review
Anesthesiology
Jennifer A. Chandler, Thaddeus M. Pope
Summary: The 2023 Canadian Brain-Based Definition of Death Clinical Practice Guideline provides a new definition of death and clear procedures for its determination. This study analyzes the existing legal definitions of death in Canada and examines the consistency between these definitions and the new Guideline. It also explores the implications of religious freedom and equality in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for diagnosing brain death.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANESTHESIA-JOURNAL CANADIEN D ANESTHESIE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Ramon F. Barajas, Letterio S. Politi, Nicoletta Anzalone, Heiko Schoder, Christopher P. Fox, Jerrold L. Boxerman, Timothy J. Kaufmann, C. Chad Quarles, Benjamin M. Ellingson, Dorothee Auer, Ovidiu C. Andronesi, Andres J. M. Ferreri, Maciej M. Mrugala, Christian Grommes, Edward A. Neuwelt, Prakash Ambady, James L. Rubenstein, Gerald Illerhaus, Motoo Nagane, Tracy T. Batchelor, Leland S. Hu
Summary: The article discusses the molecular and pathophysiologic characteristics of PCNSL, as well as critically reviewing the use of PET and MRI in diagnosis and treatment of PCNSL. Recommendations on standardized imaging practices are provided, along with ideal and minimum standard protocols for 3T and 1.5T MR systems to facilitate widespread adoption.
Review
Anesthesiology
Salmaan Kanji, David Williamson, Michael Hartwick
Summary: Guidelines for determining death by neurologic criteria require the exclusion of confounding factors. Drugs that suppress neurologic responses and breathing should be eliminated before determining death. If these factors cannot be eliminated, ancillary testing is needed. The pharmacokinetic parameters of sedative and opioid drugs can vary in critically ill patients due to various clinical variables. In such cases, ancillary testing should be conducted to confirm the absence of brain blood flow.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANESTHESIA-JOURNAL CANADIEN D ANESTHESIE
(2023)
