Responses of participants to questions testing their knowledge of brain death (N=1244).
| Variables | n (%) |
|---|---|
| Brain death is | |
| Stopping of heart | 9 (0.7) |
| Reversible stopping in brain function | 278 (22.3) |
| Irreversible stopping in brain function* | 957 (76.9) |
| What do you think causes brain death? | |
| Correct answers include: stroke\road traffic accident\heart attack\tumors | 945 (76) |
| I don’t know | 299 (24) |
| Can brain dead patients donate all their organs? | |
| Yes* | 835 (67.1) |
| No | 144 (11.6) |
| I don’t know | 265 (21.3) |
| Can brain death be cured? | |
| Yes | 264 (21.1) |
| No* | 539 (43.3) |
| I don’t know | 441 (35.6) |
| Do you think brain death is real death? | |
| Yes* | 334 (26.8) |
| No | 691 (55.5) |
| I don’t know | 219 (17.6) |
| Is brain death different from a coma? | |
| Yes* | 987 (79.3) |
| No | 90 (7.2) |
| I don’t know | 167 (13.4) |
| What are the signs of brain death? (choose more than one answer) | |
| Patient do not respond to light* | 396 (31.9) |
| Patient does not show any reaction to pain* | 411 (33.1) |
| Eyes do not move when head is moved* | 232 (18.7) |
| Patient does not breathe without a ventilator* | 551 (44.4) |
| Patient can respond to light | 26 (2.1) |
| Patient shows reaction to pain | 24 (1.9) |
| Patient can breathe without a ventilator | 23 (1.9) |
| I don’t know | 370 (29.8) |
| All the above | 48 (3.9) |
| Which of the following can determine brain death? | |
| Neurologist* | 184 (14.8) |
| Neurosurgeon | 44 (3.5) |
| Religious scholar | 1 (0.1) |
| Both neurologist and neurosurgeon | 848 (68.2) |
| All the above | 81 (6.5) |
| I don’t know | 86 (3.9) |
| Do you consider brain death to be a reliable diagnosis? | |
| Yes | 431 (34.6) |
| No, the brain death criteria are disputable and can be misinterpreted | 246 (19.8) |
| No, medical staff may lack appropriate knowledge | 136 (10.9) |
| I don’t know | 431 (34.6) |
↵* Correct answer