Cardiac arrest & resuscitation
Brain-based arterial pulse pressure threshold for death determination: a systematic review
Authors' conclusion
Indirect evidence suggests that clinicians may incorrectly diagnose death by circulatory criteria if they apply any arterial pulse pressure threshold of greater than 5 mm Hg. Moreover, there is insufficient evidence to determine that any pulse pressure threshold greater than 0 and less than 5 can safely determine circulatory death.
Study context
- Population
- Death determination by circulatory criteria (organ donors; direct and indirect evidence), arterial pulse pressure monitored by indwelling arterial transducer14 studies
- Comparison
- 0 mm Hg vs >0 mm Hg
- Outcome
- Cessation of cortical scalp EEG activity after withdrawal of life-sustaining measures (one study)
Methodological detailsSearched Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, CENTRAL and Web of Science from inception until August 2021, Part of a larger project to develop a clinical practice guideline for death determination by circulatory or neurologic criteria
- Searched Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, CENTRAL and Web of Science from inception until August 2021
- Part of a larger project to develop a clinical practice guideline for death determination by circulatory or neurologic criteria
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
- EEG activity fell below 2 μV when pulse pressure reached 8 mm Hg
- Possibility of persistent cerebral activity at arterial pulse pressures > 5 mm Hg (indirect evidence)
- Indirect evidence
Further pooled results
Study selection and quality
- Abstracts identified and screened
- 3,289
- Studies included
- 14
- Studies included from personal libraries
- 3
- Studies of sufficient quality for guideline evidence profile
- 5
Original publication
Brain-based arterial pulse pressure threshold for death determination: a systematic review. Can J Anaesth. Published 3 May 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →