Brain Death - Lazarus sign - Rare exuberant spinal reflex exclusively elicited per head flexion
Channel: Dr Eric Grossi MD Neurosurgiao BH
Date: 2011-07-05

Male 19 years old. Victim of penetrating bilateral brain injury due to firearm projectile
All criteria for the diagnosis of brain death (brain death) were present (brain death).
The presence of this complex spinal reflex (Lazarus Sign) does not exclude the diagnosis of brain death.

All professionals involved in the diagnosis of brain death must know and understand this important reflex well.

Dr. Eric Grossi Morato Neurosurgeon Physician

This video was authorized by the patient's family

The face is not blurred because:
- he is a cadaver (the time of death was 13 minutes before the start of this recording - end of the 2nd apnea test)
- the facial motor response and the location of the painful stimulus on the face are important for medical training in brain death(correct form to do a Glasgow score exam)

About respect:

This is a video for medical education, on a really important subject, brain death.
This unhappy young man was victim of a gun shot with intense bilateral brain damage and consequently an intractable high intracranial pressure, which evolved to a brain death state. Here we show a rare spinal reflex found in this brain-dead patient, called Lazarus reflex !!!

When the family authorized this video, they had already authorized the donation of 8 of their organs.

I was mentoring and teaching a resident in neurosurgery and some medical students to do a complete neurological exam to confirm brain death!
Learning that, maybe one day, they could do the same to me ...
Allow 8 people, with normal brains, to live with new organs !!!
This is really the real gesture of RESPECT ... to life !!

This video has only medical education purpose, respect that goal ...
And remember: there has NEVER been, not even one, documented case of any neurological recovery of a patient diagnosed with brain death performed strictly according to the ANA neurological protocol