Moderator:• Peter Gruen, MD, LAC + USC Medical CenterPresenters:• Gudata Hinika, MD, California Hospital Medical Center• Antonio Liu, MD, White Memorial Medical Center /

California Hospital Medical Center

Breakout Session C:Physician Champions: Sharing Methods for

Superior Donation Outcomes

Questions to Run On

What “best practices” presented today would improve

the brain death declaration and the organ donation

processes in your hospitals?

What “best practices” presented today will you share

with your physician colleagues?

Improving Family-Centered Care through

Standardized Brain Death Diagnosis

Antonio Liu, MDNeurologist

ObjectivesBy the end of this presentation, the attendee will be able to:• Identify “best practice” standards for brain death

determination.

• Identify effective family-centered care for families facing a brain death diagnosis

• Understand cultural sensitivity surrounding brain death diagnosis

What is Brain Death?Neurologic determination of death

Irreversible loss of function of the brain and brainstem

Spinal cord reflex does not count

Confounding PracticesThere is a need for standardization:

• Wide variance in brain death determination practices• In large hospital, neurologists diagnosis 25 – 30 times /year• In small hospitals, physicians diagnosis 0 – 3 times / year

• Hospital Brain Death Policies may not proceduralize the clinical exam or documentation requirements

• Physicians may not be confident to declare patients without detailed standards of practice

The public expects physicians to get “dead” right

Brain Death LegislationNational: Uniform Determination of Death Act

Approved in 1981 In cooperation with AMA, ABA, President’s Commission on Medical EthicsAdopted by most states

State: California Health and Safety Code, Section 7184An individual who has sustained either 1) irreversible cessation of

circulation and respiration, or 2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including brainstem, is dead. A determination of death must be made in accordance with accepted medical standards.

American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

Guidelines 2010 Prerequisites• Acute CNS catastrophe• Exclusion of confounding factors• No intoxication or poisoning• Core Temp > 36C

Three cardinal findings• Coma• Lack of brainstem reflexes• Apnea . . . . . . . not just another clinical test

American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Guidelines 2010

Ancillary TestingAngiographyEEGTranscranial dopplerTechnetium 99 brain scan “hollow skull”Somatosensory evoked potentials

New AAN: Ancillary testing may take the place of apnea testing if it is inconclusive or it has to be aborted.

Improved Brain Death PoliciesAlleviate variance in brain death determination practices

Implement a Standard Brain Death Note

Update policies to reflect new AAN guidelines

Proceduralize comprehensive clinical exam

Integrate AAN Checklist to StandardizeBrain Death Diagnosis and Documentation

Prerequisites (all must be checked): Coma, irreversible and cause known Neuroimaging explains coma CNS depressant drug effect absent No evidence of residual paralytics Absence of severe acid-base, electrolyte, edocrine abnormality Normothermia or mild hypothermia (core temp > 36 C) Systolic blood pressure > 100 mm Hg No spontaneous respirations

Integrate AAN Checklist to StandardizeBrain Death Diagnosis and Documentation

Examination (all must be checked): Pupils nonreactive to bright light Corneal reflex absent Oculocephalic reflex absent (tested only if C-spine integrity ensured) Oculovestibular reflex absent No facial movement to noxious stimuli at supraorbital nerve,

temporomandibular joint Gag reflex absent Cough reflex absent to tracheal suctioning Absence of motor response to noxious stimuli in all four limbs (spinally

mediated relexes are permissible)

Integrate AAN Checklist to StandardizeBrain Death Diagnosis and Documentation

Apnea testing (all must be checked): Patient is hemodynamically stable. Ventilator adjusted to provide normocarbia (PaCO2 35 – 45 mm HG). Patient preoxygenated with a PEEP of 5 cm of water. Provide oxygen via a suction catheter to the level of the carina at 6 L/min or

attach T-piece with CPAP at 10cm H2O. Disconnect ventilator. Spontaneous respirations absent. Arterial blood gas drawn at 8-10 minutes, patient reconnected to ventilator. PCO2 > 60 mm Hg, or 20 mm Hg from normal baseline value.OR: Apnea test aborted.

Integrate AAN Checklist to StandardizeBrain Death Diagnosis and Documentation

Ancillary testing (only one needs to be performed) (to be ordered only if clinical examination cannot be fully performed due to patient factors, or if apneas testing inconclusive or aborted):

Cerebral angiogram HMPAO SPECT EEG TCD Normothermia or mild hypothermia (core temp > 36 C) Systolic blood pressure > 100 mm Hg No spontaneous respirations

Time of death (DD/MM/YY): _______ / ________ / ________

Name of physician and signature: _______________________

Sensitive family-centered careWho informs the family about grave prognosis?

Who informs the family about the impending brain death examination? And the exam results?

Who informs the family about the opportunity for organ and tissue donation?

When, and how, does the physician / hospital sensitively introduce OneLegacy to the family?

Sensitive family-centered carePreparing a family to meet with OneLegacy:

“I am very sorry for your loss. We will give you some time alone to be together as a family, and if you have any

questions, we will contact {nurse, social worker, chaplain} for you. Later, we will introduce someone specialized in End-of-Life

decisions to support you and your family through the next steps.”

Sensitive family-centered care• Timing is almost EVERYTHING!

• Family may need time between brain death discussion with physician and donation discussion with OneLegacy.

• Family acceptance of brain death diagnosis is necessary before introducing the discussion of organ donation.

Sensitive family-centered careAll donation discussions with family should be planned

events.

Who? Where? When? clearly customized for each family during hospital and OneLegacy care plan “huddle”.

Avoid the perception of conflict of interest.

Cultural Diversity & Brain DeathCultural differences may influence acceptance of brain death:

Western vs. Eastern philosophies of mind / body /spirit connection

Coma vs. Brain Death: waiting for a miracleSocially or economically disenfranchised may not trust diagnosis

Responding to cultural differences:Show and Tell - “seeing is believing”Multiple family conferences to clarifyBalance sensitivity with definitiveness

SummaryUpdated AAN Guidelines can be incorporated into

hospital policies to standardize brain death determination practices.

Sensitive family-centered care requires coordinated efforts of the right experts to support the family at the right time.

Physicians should be prepared to aid families from varied cultural backgrounds to best understand and accept the brain death diagnosis.

Thank You

Contact:Antonio Liu, MD(323) 987-1362

American Academy of Neurology (AAN)www.aan.com

Physician Champions: Sharing Best Practices

Dr. Gudata HinikaChief of Trauma

California Hospital Medical Center

ObjectivesBy the end of this presentation, the attendee will be able to:1) Identify procedures and protocols for improving

patient resuscitation in the ED.

2) Understand the value of a having an active multi-disciplinary Donation Council with physician leadership.

3) Identify specific strategies for improving hospital and OneLegacy partnerhip from referral to recovery.

California Hospital Demographics

• Trauma Level II facility

• 316-bed acute care hospital

• Located in downtown Los Angeles

• Serving primarily lower income and transient

population

CHMC Organ Donation Data 2008 2009 2010

CMS Goal

Organ Donors 4 10 16

Eligible Deaths 14 15 20

Total Organs Transplanted 13 27 57OTPD 3.25 2.70 3.80

3.75Conversion Rate 29% 67% 75%

75%Timely Referrals 96% 96% 92%

100%Effective Request 89% 64% 73%

100%

ED Protocol

• ED Level I, II, and Consultation Activation• Level I:

All key team members must respond, i.e.; (Blood Bank, Trauma Surgeon, Anesthesiologist, ED physicians, RNs, RTs, & Radiology)

• Sign-in sheet upon staff arrival

• Resuscitation measures• GOAL: Patient receives multi-disciplinary

resuscitation

ED Protocol

Once resuscitation is achieved:

• Allows for immediate ED to OR time

• ICU maintains 1 available bed for Trauma

Donation Council

• CHMC established Donation Council 8/2010• GOAL: Process Improvement• High Level Chair with physician influence• Active OneLegacy Coordinator• Multi-disciplinary – meets quarterly• Review all referrals/cases/timeliness• Chair holds Lead persons accountable for PI

OneLegacy PartnershipEducation is key • Nursing Competencies/Annuals• Department meetings• Grand Rounds • Hospital knowledgeable on policies & process

Early Referral for Imminent & Cardiac Death• Avoids missed/late referrals for organ and tissue • CMS mandate = Goal is 100% timeliness

RN Champions• What is a Nurse Champion? A registered nurse (preferably not a charge nurse) formally recognized as

an advisor on the donation process. Nurses, physicians, RT’s, OneLegacy coordinators, and hospital Administration consult the Nurse Champion, regarding referrals, general donation policy, protocol or practice.

• When does a facility need one?Anytime. Nurse Champions foster leadership and peer-to-peer interaction/education throughout the referral process. And the charge nurses and manager can rely on the Nurse Champions to help less experienced staff navigate the referral process effectively.

RN Champions

• CHMC has 4 Nurse Champions!!• 3 day shift & 1 night shift

• Multiple referrals in units at one time with several OL

coordinators onsite, same physicians, etc.

• Champions help with overall organization and

communication in real-time for staff,

OneLegacy and families.

OneLegacy Partnership

C O M M U N I C A T E! C O M M U N I C A T E! C O M M U N I C A T E!

• Multiple huddles (all teams w/OneLegacy involvement)

• Involve your RN Champions early for assistance

• Have OL Coordinator e-mail updates to all Donor Council

members to keep updated on referrals/donors

THANK YOU!

Contact information:Dr. Gudata Hinika

California Hospital Medical CenterGudata.Hinika@chw.edu

(323) 545-9288

QUESTIONSfor

Dr. Liu & Dr. Hinika?

Questions to Run On

What “best practices” presented today would improve

the brain death declaration and the organ donation

processes in your hospitals?

What “best practices” presented today will you share

with your physician colleagues?