Drowning in the desert: family denial of brain death

Sudanese Journal of Paediatrics
Mohamad-Hani TemsahOmar Temsah

Abstract

Drowning continues to be a cause of childhood mortality that is associated with significant psychological distress to the affected families. The unexpected death due to such preventable injury causes excessive grieving responses in these situations. In the present report, we describe a case of a 3-year-old child who was a victim of drowning in a recreational pool, whose family went through severe denial phase following the establishment of brain death. Single-photon emission computed tomography brain scan showed the absence of tracer uptake within brain parenchyma, while the calvarium showed increased tracer distribution, also known as the "halo sign." She also had electrocerebral inactivity revealed by electroencephalography. We also discuss the magnitude of this family distress that led to total family avoidance of meeting with the treating team, from the time the parents were informed about the established brain death in the drowning child till the patient had cardiopulmonary arrest 2 weeks later.

References

Jul 10, 1972·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·E Kübler-RossL V Avioli
Jun 15, 2006·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Robert D TruogElaine C Meyer
May 23, 2015·Journal of Tropical Pediatrics·Anuradha Bose
Dec 17, 2015·BMJ Open·Heather FeltonDeborah Winders Davis
Feb 28, 2017·Journal of Loss & Trauma·JoAnne M YoungblutChangwon Yoo
Dec 7, 2017·Nursing in Critical Care·Lígia LimaCândida Pinto
Feb 26, 2019·Sudanese Journal of Paediatrics·Mohamad-Hani TemsahOmar Temsah

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Citations

Feb 26, 2019·Sudanese Journal of Paediatrics·Mohamad-Hani TemsahOmar Temsah

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