• T Segura, P Jiménez, P Jerez, F García, and V Córcoles.
• Sección de Neurología, Hospital General de Albacete, Spain. tseguram@meditex.es
• Neurologia. 2002 Apr 1;17(4):219-22.

IntroductionThroughout the world, is fully accepted that a person is dead when brain death exists. In most situations, neurological criteria permit the diagnosis of brain death, but in some instances, as when high-dose barbiturate therapy has been used, confirmatory testing are required by law.Clinical CaseWe report the case of a 17 year-old women who suffered high-dose barbiturate therapy due to post traumatic intracranial hypertension. During the period of the barbiturate infusion and until six days after the suppression of this therapy, neurological exploration and EEG findings seem to confirm brain death, while transcranial Doppler (TCD) study remained normal.ConclusionsTCD is a fast, simple and accurate confirmatory testing in the determination of brain death and its findings are not affected by high-dose barbiturate therapy. We think that TCD must be present in all hospitals where mechanical ventilation and support of patients are carried out.

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