• Ann-Kristin Reinhold, Christian K Markus, Markus Kredel, Rainer Beckmann, Wolfgang Muellges, Monika Rehn, Achim Wöckel, Patrick Meybohm, Norbert Roewer, and Peter Kranke.
• Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther. 2021 Jul 1; 56 (7-08): 536-543.

AbstractThe therapy of brain-dead pregnant women is an extreme example not only of the possibilities in current critical care, but also of resulting ethical, social and legal controversies, an area not familiar to most clinicians. Based on the case of a patient with fatal traumatic brain injury, a previously unknown early pregnancy and stated will to donate organs, we will discuss several aspects using published case reports: therapeutic goals, especially palliative care vs. continuation; implications of brain death diagnosis; considerations on legal care; involvement of relatives, especially the child's father; dynamics within the care team; and finally the issue of putative organ donation. This complex case once more depicts that even facing such highly unfavourable framework and seemingly irreconcilable factors, pregnancy can prevail. The researched facts and considerations in this article are intended to give an overview of potential dilemmas and might serve as a starting point in similar situations.Thieme. All rights reserved.

9 keywords...

hide…