HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Larar, G. N. Articles by Nagel, J. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Larar, G. N. Articles by Nagel, J. S.

Technetium-99m-HMPAO Cerebral Perfusion Scintigraphy: Considerations for Timely Brain Death Declaration

Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and The Joint Program in Nuclear Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Correspondence: For reprints contact: G.N. Larar, PhD, Department of Radiology, Nassau County Medical Center, 2201 Hempstead Tumpike, East Meadow, NY 11554.

ABSTRACT

The lipophilic cerebral perfusion agent ^99mTc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO) is increasingly used to demonstrate the absence of blood flow for the declaration of brain death. We report a case that illustrates how the timing of such studies is important when organ harvesting is the undenying emergent indication. If performed too early, a study showing the presence of cerebral perfusion may not expedite the declaration of brain death, but instead may complicate patient assessment and unnecessarily delay the process.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J-R Kuo, C-F Chen, C-C Chio, C-H Chang, C-C Wang, C-M Yang, and K-C Lin Time dependent validity in the diagnosis of brain death using transcranial Doppler sonography J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, May 1, 2006; 77(5): 646 - 649. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Newberg, A. Alavi, S. van Rhijn, A. Cotter, and P. Reilly Radiologic Diagnosis of Brain Death JAMA, November 6, 2002; 288(17): 2121 - 2122. [Full Text] [PDF]