No to hattatsu. Brain and development
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Although brain death of children has recently been hotly discussed in Japan, there still remain uncertainty and confusion. A pediatrician's diagnosis that a child is brain-dead entails delicate and emotional issues. ⋯ It is most important to be aware of these problems and to seek consensus in the community. Pediatricians should provide their best care to both the patients and their families.
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In Japan, "brain death" has been discussed exclusively in connection with organ transplantation. However, the concept of brain death, which emerged with the progress in intensive care medicine, should be discussed in the context of palliative care in the ICU. It should be recognized that intensive care medicine includes not only life-saving high-tech therapeutic modalities, but also ethical and psycho-social aspects of modern medicine. In order to find out a decent solution to pediatric brain death issues, it is essential to develop pediatric intensive care in Japan.