Changes in serum catecholamine levels in patients who are brain dead.
J Heart Lung Transplant
; 11(6): 1046-53, 1992.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-1457428
Prospective blood samplings from 15 patients admitted with a Glasgow Coma Score of less than 7 were obtained to observe and compare epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine serum levels in patients with brain injury before, after, and in the absence of brain death. Nine of the patients developed or were admitted after brain death. Wide variations in catecholamine blood levels over time were documented, and subgroup analysis precluded useful statistical comparison or inference of the data. The data are presented therefore as descriptive observations only. No apparent differences were noted between similarly injured patients in whom brain death did not develop and patients before brain death or between patients with penetrating versus nonpenetrating brain injury. Brain death was preceded by hypertension and corresponding elevations in serum catecholamine levels in one patient with complete data. Catecholamine levels appeared to fall after brain death in most patients. Only minimal changes in myocardial histology were present in three donor hearts, and the two transplanted hearts functioned satisfactorily. Serum catecholamine measurement or monitoring does not provide a precise method of determining potential injury to the donor heart before or after brain death. Other experimental data and clinical observation indicate that some hearts may be injured in the donor during the evolution of brain death. Pharmacologic intervention may prevent such injury in experimental animals but must be used before brain death is induced. Such interventions should be studied in selected human donors before brain death to determine whether cardiac function is improved in the donor or recipient.
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Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Donantes de Tejidos
/
Muerte Encefálica
/
Catecolaminas
/
Trasplante de Corazón
/
Miocardio
Límite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Heart Lung Transplant
Asunto de la revista:
CARDIOLOGIA
/
TRANSPLANTE
Año:
1992
Tipo del documento:
Article
Pais de publicación:
Estados Unidos