In a 1980 Washington State Supreme Court decision, brain death was recognized as a means of determining death, but the court declined to specify a procedural mechanism to be followed. According to a survey of hospitals in Washington, the decision has had little impact in the state, apparently due to the medical profession's unfamiliarity with it. As a result of the survey, we have identified problems of procedure and interaction with the legal system. A consensus of those contacted was that no formal, hospital-mandated definition of brain death is needed.