RT Journal
A1 de Groot YJ, Kompanje EO
T1 POlicies of children’s hospitals on donation after cardiac death
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2009
FD August 26
VO 302
IS 8
SP 844
OP 845
DO 10.1001/jama.2009.1207
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.1207
AB 
To the Editor:  Dr Antommaria and colleagues1 characterized donation after cardiac death (DCD) policies in children's hospitals and evaluated variation among policies. Western standards are that transplantation of organs is possible only if the patient complies with the dead donor rule.2 Organ procurement is possible after the donor's death and must not cause death. Internationally, it is accepted as a norm that an individual who has sustained either (1) irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions or (2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including brain stem, is dead.3Irreversible means that the function cannot be restored by anyone under any circumstances.3