02-15-2009, 06:53 AM
A 21-year-old Asian-American man who sustained a closed head injury in a motorcycle accident is admitted to the hospital. He is intubated and is receiving mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit. On repeat physical examinations during the next 2 days, he shows no clinical signs of cerebral activity and has no spontaneous respiration. His pupils are fixed in mid-position and he has no vestibulo-ocular reflexes. Electroencephalograms obtained 24 hours apart have nearly flat tracings. His driver's license indicates his desire to be an organ donor. When you inform his parents that he is brain dead, you remind them of his donor statement and request permission to harvest usable organs. The parents are shocked; they say they are unaware of his desire to be an organ donor and refuse to grant permission. Because the patient meets the clinical criteria for brain death, which of the following is most appropriate?
A) Explain how their son's death can contribute to another person's life
B) Have a potential organ recipient talk with the family
C) Obtain a court order authorizing removal of usable organs
D) Order cerebral angiography to convince the parents that their son is brain dead
E) Proceed with organ removal because the patient is an adult
A) Explain how their son's death can contribute to another person's life
B) Have a potential organ recipient talk with the family
C) Obtain a court order authorizing removal of usable organs
D) Order cerebral angiography to convince the parents that their son is brain dead
E) Proceed with organ removal because the patient is an adult