Prevalence of Diabetes Insipidus in Pediatric Patients Who Have Been Declared Brain Dead
Abstract
Introduction and Objective. Death by neurological criteria (DNC) or brain death (BD), occurs in individuals who have sustained catastrophic brain injury and are in permanent coma with loss of all brainstem function, coupled with the inability to breathe in the setting of hypercarbia and acidosis. Diabetes insipidus (DI) occurs in many but not all patients with DNC. Several studies indicate varying prevalence rates of DI among pediatric patients with DNC. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of DI in children who have been declared DNC, and the frequency of DI in these children according to the mechanism of brain injury. Methods. A retrospective analysis of 57 pediatric inpatients 0-21 years subsequently declared BD at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital from January 2013 to June 2023. Data was gathered from the hospital's electronic medical records and the VPS database. The primary exposure is brain death, while the secondary exposure is the mechanism of brain injury. These injuries were categorized into anoxic, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and brain tumors/space-occupying lesions (malignancy). The prevalence of DI was assessed as the primary outcome, and it was compared between three etiologies for brain death using Pearson Chi-square. Due to the study's small sample size, the association between the cause of BD and DI was not adjusted by covariates, such as sex and age. This study was exempted by the IRB. Results. Of the 53 patients declared BD, 47 (88.7%, 95% CI 77.9% to 95.3%) were diagnosed with DI. The prevalence of DI did not change significantly according to the etiology of brain injury leading to BD (84.4%, 100.0%, and 92.3% for anoxic brain injury, TBI, and malignancy, respectively; p = 0.410). The characteristics of children according to the etiology of brain death are presented in Table 1. The characteristics of children according to the development of DI are presented in Table 2. ICU length of stay, the duration to brain death declaration, and eligibility for organ donation varied with the etiology of brain death (Table 1 and Fig 1). Conclusions-Implications. The prevalence of DI is high in pediatric patients declared BD, and it is not significantly different based on the etiology of brain death. Given this high prevalence, diligent DI management is needed to improve organ donation outcomes.
Abstract Category
26. Pediatrics
Secondary Abstract Category
8. Endocrinology
Keywords
brain death, diabetes insipidus, organ donation, pediatrics, PICU
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Prevalence of Diabetes Insipidus in Pediatric Patients Who Have Been Declared Brain Dead
Introduction and Objective. Death by neurological criteria (DNC) or brain death (BD), occurs in individuals who have sustained catastrophic brain injury and are in permanent coma with loss of all brainstem function, coupled with the inability to breathe in the setting of hypercarbia and acidosis. Diabetes insipidus (DI) occurs in many but not all patients with DNC. Several studies indicate varying prevalence rates of DI among pediatric patients with DNC. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of DI in children who have been declared DNC, and the frequency of DI in these children according to the mechanism of brain injury. Methods. A retrospective analysis of 57 pediatric inpatients 0-21 years subsequently declared BD at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital from January 2013 to June 2023. Data was gathered from the hospital's electronic medical records and the VPS database. The primary exposure is brain death, while the secondary exposure is the mechanism of brain injury. These injuries were categorized into anoxic, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and brain tumors/space-occupying lesions (malignancy). The prevalence of DI was assessed as the primary outcome, and it was compared between three etiologies for brain death using Pearson Chi-square. Due to the study's small sample size, the association between the cause of BD and DI was not adjusted by covariates, such as sex and age. This study was exempted by the IRB. Results. Of the 53 patients declared BD, 47 (88.7%, 95% CI 77.9% to 95.3%) were diagnosed with DI. The prevalence of DI did not change significantly according to the etiology of brain injury leading to BD (84.4%, 100.0%, and 92.3% for anoxic brain injury, TBI, and malignancy, respectively; p = 0.410). The characteristics of children according to the etiology of brain death are presented in Table 1. The characteristics of children according to the development of DI are presented in Table 2. ICU length of stay, the duration to brain death declaration, and eligibility for organ donation varied with the etiology of brain death (Table 1 and Fig 1). Conclusions-Implications. The prevalence of DI is high in pediatric patients declared BD, and it is not significantly different based on the etiology of brain death. Given this high prevalence, diligent DI management is needed to improve organ donation outcomes.