Case Reports in Critical Care (Jan 2023)

Cardiac Oscillations Complicating Brain Death Diagnosis

  • Brittany Bolt,
  • Farid Muakkassa,
  • Lindsay Bruening,
  • Cameron Marcus,
  • Brittany Cunningham,
  • Erin Pawlak,
  • Richard Gandee,
  • Christopher Newey

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/1132406
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2023

Abstract

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Death by neurologic criteria (DNC) or brain death is a clinical diagnosis. It is often complicated by variations in policies as well as confounders on examination. We discuss here the case of a 27-year-old male who had a cardiac arrest following toxic gaseous exposure. He ultimately progressed to brain death but was identified as having cardiac oscillations during clinical assessments that complicated the diagnosis. We discuss the case as well as the maneuvers used to clarify that the “triggered breaths” on the ventilator were indeed cardiac oscillations.