Clinical Practice of Death by Neurologic Criteria and Brain Death
A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Neurology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2026 | Viewed by 135
Special Issue Editor
Interests: traumatic brain injury; critical care; anesthesiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Death by neurologic criteria (DNC) is a legally recognized form of death that has been part of clinical practice for more than four decades. DNC remains a cornerstone of modern neurocritical care. Yet, despite its longstanding acceptance, the clinical determination of DNC continues to generate focused attention as bedside practice evolves and clinicians integrate updated guidance into increasingly complex care environments.
Recent milestones, including the updated American Academy of Neurology guideline (1) and the international consensus articulated by the World Brain Death Project (2), underscore the maturity of the field while highlighting the ongoing need to refine clinical implementation. These efforts emphasize examination reliability, appropriate use of ancillary testing, standardized workflows, and key elements for ensuring consistent and high-quality practice.
The relevance of DNC determination continues to grow as advances in life-sustaining technologies prolong physiologic support in patients with catastrophic brain injury. Clinicians must navigate confounders, physiologic instability, and multidisciplinary coordination while adhering to rigorous clinical standards. Variability in practice underscores the importance of shared clinical frameworks and quality-focused approaches.
This Special Issue focuses on the clinical practice of DNC and seeks contributions that advance bedside care, including original research and quality improvement initiatives. By focusing on implementation and practice, this Special Issue aims to support clinicians in delivering accurate, consistent, and compassionate determination of death by neurologic criteria.
Dr. Abhijit V. Lele
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- brain death
- DNC
- traumatic brain injury
- death by neurologic criteria
- critical care
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