Brain Dead
Love is more than blind. It's brain-dead - Ellen Hopkins
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Nobody Declared Brain Dead Ever Wakes Up Feeling Pretty Good
A day rarely goes by that I don't read a few sensational headlines: "Man Declared Dead Feels 'Pretty Good'" or "Husband Celebrates Miracle as 'Brain Dead' Wife Wakes Up in Hospital." I recently read an article that seemed to describe a man on death row in Huntsville, Texas. It attempted to shock its readers with the claim that a college student had been declared brain dead and "just hours before he was slated to be killed and his organs given to another patient," he miraculously recovered. That's right, they said "killed."
As a neurologist who specializes in brain injury, I have cared for many brain-injured patients and there were times when they did better than I anticipated, but…
Resources
When Are You Dead? And Who Decides?
What is the definition of death—and who gets to make the call? For decades, physicians have had the authority to declare a person brain-dead—defined in the U.S. as the irreversible cessation of all brain function, including the brainstem—even if heart and lung activity can be maintained with machines. The medical profession determined the acceptable tests and procedures used to make the diagnosis. But lately, the declaration of brain death has come under intense scrutiny.
Scientists Are Giving Dead Brains New Life. What Could Go Wrong?
In experiments on pig organs, scientists at Yale made a discovery that could someday challenge our understanding of what it means to die.
What Does "Dead" Mean? The Debate Continues Some 50 Years After Harvard Defined Death.
Fifty years after Harvard Medical School defined brain death, a new report commemorates the concept and raises new and lasting questions about what it means to be dead as well as implications for organ transplantation.
Why the line between life and death is now more blurred than ever
Brains resurrected after death, communications with people in comas and advances in cryogenics all suggest that life's end is less final than we thought.
AI-powered brain emulation is changing our definition of death
Scientists are replacing traditional definitions based on brain death with new concepts based on cryogenics and AI.
Dying in the Neurosurgical I.C.U.
In cases of brain death or neurologically devastating injury, poor communication can make painful situations even harder.
Evidence-based guideline update: Determining brain death in adults
In adults, there are no published reports of recovery of neurologic function after a diagnosis of brain death using the criteria reviewed in the 1995 American Academy of Neurology practice parameter.
Fight Over California Girl Points to Confusion About Brain Death
Beyond a family's tragedy, the dispute points to continuing confusion in society over the concept of brain death, especially when other parts of the body are functioning, said experts not involved with the case.
How Long Will A Brain-Dead Person’s Body Keep Working?
Today, with ventilators, blood-pressure augmentation and hormones, the body of a brain-dead person could, in theory, be kept functioning for a long time, perhaps indefinitely, Greene-Chandos said. But with time, Greene-Chandos added, the body of a brain-dead person becomes increasingly difficult to maintain, and the tissue is at high risk for infection.
Man Thought To Be Brain Dead Wakes Up After 12 Years, Says “I Was Aware Of Everything”
Martin began to regain consciousness about two years after initially entering his “vegetative” state.
Maybe It's Not Such A Great Idea To Bring People Back After Brain Death
The reasons have nothing to do with zombies.
Researchers Find Lapses In Hospitals' Policies For Determining Brain Death
Are hospitals doing everything they should to make sure they don't make mistakes when declaring patients brain-dead? A provocative study finds that hospital policies for determining brain death are surprisingly inconsistent and that many have failed to fully implement guidelines designed to minimize errors.
Viewpoint: Why Brain Death Isn't An On-Off Switch
The rare but real cases where people do awaken from what doctors have labeled as brain death or irreversible coma only make the questions, and the need for answers, all the more urgent.
What Does Dead Mean?
Indeed it can be challenging to know if a person is brain dead. While guidelines exist for determining brain death in adults and children, debate continues about how to declare someone brain dead.
Nobody Declared Brain Dead Ever Wakes Up Feeling Pretty Good
There's a difference between being in a coma and a vegetative state. The stories confusing the two are hindering organ donor education.
NHS
If someone's brain dead, the damage is irreversible and, according to UK law, the person has died. It can be confusing to be told someone has brain death, because their life support machine will keep their heart beating and their chest will still rise and fall with every breath from the ventilator.
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