To become an organ donor, a person must
be certified by a physician as "brain dead."
Brain death is the irreversible and complete cessation
of all brain and brain stem function. It means there's
no blood flow through the brain or brain stem and the
patient is dead.
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If someone
is brain dead, what does that mean? |
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When someone is brain
dead, it means that the brain is no longer working
in any capacity and never will again. Other organs,
such as the heart, kidneys or liver, can still work
for a short time if the breathing machine is left
in place, but when brain death is declared, it means
the person has died.
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How does
the physician determine if a patient has actually
died?
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The physician carefully reviews the medical history
and performs a series of physical exams and tests
to determine if the brain is no longer working.
When the brain is no longer working but the heart
is still beating, the condition is termed brain
death.
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What types
of injuries can cause brain death? |
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Lack of oxygen or blood getting to the brain
caused by:
Heart attack
Lung diseases
Drowning
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Drug overdose
A blood clot in an artery leading to or inside
the brain (stroke) Swelling of the brain
Bleeding inside the brain
Low or no blood pressure
Severe injuries including
Closed head injuries from accidents such as car
crashes
Open head injuries such as a gunshot wound
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What can occur
when the brain is injured? |
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Just as with any other
injury, when the brain is injured, it swells. Because
the brain is inside the skull, there's little room
for swelling. As swelling occurs, damaged areas
can press on other areas of the brain, causing further
injury. |
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What can happen
when the pressure in the brain increases? |
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Increasing pressure
can stop blood and oxygen from getting to brain
cells. When this happens, brain cells can die within
minutes. Brain cells don't grow back. The increased
swelling and pressure can also push the brain out
of its normal space within the skull, damaging or
destroying the brainstem.
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What does the
brainstem do? |
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The brainstem controls
breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. Parts
of the brainstem help maintain consciousness and
carry messages from the body to the brain. The brainstem
is also involved with controlling movement, speech
and swallowing. |
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Are coma and
brain death the same thing? |
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No. Coma is a decrease
in brain function and there is a chance a person
may regain consciousness. Brain death is the irreversible
absence of all brain function. There is no chance
of recovery with brain death. |
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I've always
understood that when an individual dies, the heart
stops beating. If someone is brain dead, why does
the heart continue to beat? |
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The human heart has its own pacemaker, and doesn't
need the brain to make it beat. As long as the
heart has a supply of oxygen and blood, it can
continue to beat for a period of time. Because
the patient has been placed on a machine called
a ventilator that breathes for him or her, the
heart continues to receive oxygen. If the medications
being given maintain a good blood pressure, the
heart may continue to beat even if the brain has
died.
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Does the body
of a brain dead patient sometimes start to deteriorate
even if the patient is still on machines? |
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The failure of many
organs often begins soon after brain death. Therefore,
the option for organ donation is time sensitive.
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Have there
ever been any cases where a patient was declared
brain dead and later restored to a normal life? |
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No. When you hear
about people who were "brain dead" and
recovered, those people were not actually brain
dead. People who are in a deep coma or vegetative
state with slight brain activity may have a chance
to recover. No one who is brain dead ever recovers.
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