Table 2.
Diagnostic criteria by country
| Diagnostic criterion, n/total N (%) | Total N = 582 |
Canada N = 314 |
Czech Republic N = 230 |
Netherlands N = 38 |
P value† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absent heart sounds | 476/582 (81.8%) | 251/314 (79.9%) | 192/230 (83.5%) | 33/38 (87%) | 0.40 |
| Flat invasive ABP tracing | 448/582 (77.0%) | 230/314 (73.2%) | 182/230 (79.1%) | 36/38 (95%) | 0.007* |
| Flat ECG tracing | 426/582 (73.2%) | 193/314 (61.5%) | 200/230 (87.0%) | 33/38 (87%) | < 0.001* |
| Absent pulse (palpation) | 405/582 (69.6%) | 231/314 (73.6%) | 149/230 (64.8%) | 25/38 (66%) | 0.08 |
| Absent breath sounds | 403/582 (69.2%) | 236/314 (75.2%) | 141/230 (61.3%) | 26/38 (68%) | 0.003* |
| Absent pulse oximetry | 370/582 (63.6%) | 186/314 (59.2%) | 153/230 (66.5%) | 31/38 (82%) | 0.01* |
| Fixed and dilated pupils | 334/582 (57.4%) | 160/314 (51.0%) | 146/230 (63.5%) | 28/38 (74%) | 0.002* |
| Unresponsive to painful stimulus | 300/582 (51.5%) | 138/314 (43.9%) | 144/230 (62.6%) | 18/38 (47%) | < 0.001* |
| Pulseless electrical activity | 179/582 (30.8%) | 141/314 (44.9%) | 14/230 (6.1%) | 24/38 (63%) | < 0.001* |
| Absent blood pressure (noninvasive) | 142/582 (24.4%) | 89/314 (28.3%) | 42/230 (18.3%) | 11/38 (29%) | 0.02* |
| Absent pulse (Doppler) | 15/582 (2.6%) | 7/314 (2.2%) | 8/230 (3.5%) | 0/38 (0%) | 0.52 |
| Successful DCD | 52/582 (8.9%) | 45/314 (14.3%) | 4/230 (1.7%) | 3/38 (8%) | < 0.001* |
| DCD criteria satisfied* | 23/582 (44.2%) | 21/314 (46.7%) | NA | NA | 0.34 |
*DCD criteria defined as absence of palpable pulse, blood pressure (flat invasive ABP tracing), and absent breathing (absent breath sounds)13
†All P values are based on the Chi square test except for absent pulse (Doppler), successful DCD, and DCD criteria satisfied where Fisher’s exact test was used because of the small expected cell count for at least one category of country variable
ABP = arterial blood pressure; DCD = donation after death determination by circulatory criteria; ECG = electrocardiogram; NA = not applicable