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Although the concept of brain death has attained a high degree of medical and legal acceptance in the U.S., it is still controversial and poorly understood by health professionals and the public. In some countries that respect authority of religious beliefs in making medical decisions, declaring brain death is challenging. To assess practices for declaring brain death worldwide, researchers surveyed an expert in each of 91 countries. The survey addressed the key components outlined in the 2010 evidence-based guidelines for determining brain death in adults.
Respondents in 77% of countries reported an institutional protocol for determining brain death, and 70% were aware of a legal provision. Institutional protocols were significantly less fr…