Confirming brain deathĪlthough rare, a few things can make it appear as though someone is brain dead. there's a slim chance of recovery, because the brain stem's core functions may be unaffectedĪ person who is brain dead has no chance of recovery, because their body is unable to survive without artificial support.However, the important difference between brain death and a vegetative state is that someone in a vegetative state still has a functioning brain stem, which means that: In rare cases, a person may demonstrate some sense of response that can be detected using a brain scan, but not be able to interact with their surroundings. Someone in a vegetative state can show signs of wakefulness – for example, they may open their eyes, but not respond to their surroundings. There's a difference between brain death and a vegetative state, which can occur after extensive brain damage. blood clot – a blockage in a blood vessel that disturbs or blocks the flow of blood around your bodyīrain death can also occur as a result of:.stroke – a serious medical emergency that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked or interrupted.heart attack – a serious medical emergency that occurs when the blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked.cardiac arrest – when the heart stops beating and the brain is starved of oxygen.How brain death occursīrain death can occur when the blood and/or oxygen supply to the brain is stopped. The brain stem also relays information to and from the brain to the rest of the body, so it plays an important role in the brain’s core functions, such as consciousness, awareness and movement.Īfter brain death, it's not possible for someone to remain conscious. The brain stem is responsible for regulating most of the body's automatic functions that are essential for life. The brain stem is the lower part of the brain that's connected to the spinal cord (part of the central nervous system in the spinal column). To save a person's family and friends from unnecessary suffering, once there's clear evidence that brain death has occurred, the person will be disconnected from the ventilator. Once the brain stem has permanently stopped functioning, there's no way of reversing it and the heart will eventually stop beating, even if a ventilator continues to be used. However, that person won't ever regain consciousness or start breathing again. This can be done by keeping a person on a ventilator, which allows the body and heart to be artificially oxygenated. The lack of oxygen, which occurred as a result of no blood flow, quickly led to the permanent loss of brain stem function.Ĭonfirming death is now more complex, because it's possible to keep the heart beating after the brain stem has permanently stopped functioning. Death was said to occur when the heart stopped beating and a person was unresponsive and no longer breathing. Confirming deathĬonfirming death used to be straightforward. When this happens, a ventilator keeps the person's heart beating and oxygen circulating through their bloodstream.Ī person is confirmed as being dead when their brain stem function is permanently lost. Brain stem death is when a person no longer has any brain stem functions, and has permanently lost the potential for consciousness and the capacity to breathe.
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