Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on brain death detection in German hospitals: a state-wide analysis of health data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The low rate of organ donation in Germany has been linked to a deficit in the detection of patients with brain death (BD) in hospitals. It is unclear how crisis-related health system disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, affect this detection deficit.

Methods

Secondary data analysis of anonymized data from deceased patients with acute brain injury from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia during the pre-pandemic and pandemic period (01/2019-12/2022). Pandemic phases were stratified according to the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant. Logistic multilevel models were employed to assess outcomes including diagnosis of BD, deceased organ donations, missed cases with potential BD and organ donation-related interactions with the German Organ procurement organization. M

SUBMITTER: Schoene D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11921974 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature