2．法的脳死判定とピットフォール—判定の基準と注意点

The diagnosis of brain death and associated pitfalls：criteria and cautions

法的脳死判定，すなわち脳死下臓器提供を前提とした脳死判定は厚生省（当時）から公表された基準，すなわち6歳以上では昭和60年度報告書に公表された基準，6歳未満では平成11年度報告書に公表された基準が用いられる。しかしながら，その手順や手続きに関しては若干の注意点が存在し，本稿ではそれらを含めて法的脳死判定の方法について解説する。ちなみに，厚生労働省は脳死下臓器提供に至った事例を検証しており，そのうち200例の結果を「脳死下での臓器提供事例に係る検証会議 検証のまとめ」として公表している。

The revised organ transplantation law went into effect in July 2010 in Japan. While the number of organ transplants compared with the United States and European countries remains small, the number of organ donations from brain dead donors is gradually increasing after the establishment of the revised organ transplantation law and associated guidelines. The diagnosis of brain death for organ donation in Japan is made according to the revised organ transplantation law and guidelines, which have some pitfalls associated with their use, by qualified medical doctors certified by the boards of neurology, neurosurgery, acute medicine, intensive care, anesthesiology or pediatrics. The correct way to establish the diagnosis of brain death according to the law and the guidelines as well as associated pitfalls are explained in this article.