Factors associated with the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies in patients with severe traumatic brain injury: a multicenter cohort study.

Purpose: To identify factors associated with decisions to withdraw life-sustaining therapies in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Materials And Methods: We conducted a 2-year multicenter retrospective cohort study (2005-2006) in mechanically ventilated patients aged 16 years and older admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) of six Canadian level I trauma centers following severe TBI. One hundred and twenty charts were randomly selected at each center (n = 720).

Efficacy of a T-piece system and a continuous positive airway pressure system for apnea testing in the diagnosis of brain death.

Objective: To prospectively compare three methods of apnea testing for the confirmation of brain death.

Design: Prospective, randomized, crossover study.

Setting: Intensive care unit of a tertiary care university hospital.