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Brain death

A brain death happens when a person on an artificial life support system no longer has any brain functions; it is also known as brain stem death.

The law confirms legal confirmation of death for someone who is brain dead.

Brain stem

Most of the body’s autonomic processes, vital to life, are controlled by the brain stem.

These consist of:

  • Breathing
  • Heartbeat
  • Systolic pressure
  • Swallowing

The brain stem also transmits data back and forth between the brain and the rest of the body.

Signs of brain death

The following are a few indicators of brain death:

  • Light does not affect the pupils
  • The person displays no reaction to pain
  • When the eye surface is touched, the eyes do not blink
  • When the head moves, the eyes remain stationary
    Brain stem
    • When you pour ice water into the ear, the eyeballs don’t move
    • When the throat’s rear is touched, there is no gagging reaction
    • The person struggles to breathe as soon as the ventilator is off
    • An electroencephalogram reveals absolutely no brain activity 

    Causes for brain death

    When the brain’s oxygen or blood supply is off, brain death may result.

    Brain death may be brought on by:

    • A heart attack 
    • A stroke
    • A blood clot is a blockage in a blood vessel that prevents or impedes blood flow throughout your body

    Other factors that may include:

    • A severe brain damage
    • Bleeding in the brain
    • Illnesses like encephalitis
    • A brain tumor

    Diagnosing 

    The diagnosis of brain death is upon several factors.

    If brain death is determined:

    • A person must be unresponsive to outside stimuli and unconscious
    • Only a ventilator can sustain a person’s breathing and heartbeat
    • There must be incontrovertible proof that severe brain damage has taken place

    Testing 

    The doctors will perform several tests. The doctor examines twice to reduce the possibility of error tests.

    The following tests identify brain stem death:

    A doctor will do tests to decide if a patient has brain death, Supported by reliable, legally sanctioned medical standards. A clinical exam is one of the tests used to demonstrate that a person lacks brain reflexes and is unable to breathe on their own. 

    Possible signs of spinal activation or reflexes include muscle twitching or contractions. Electrical impulses that stay in the spinal column are what trigger spinal reflexes. Even if the brain is dead, certain reflexes may still occur.

    Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
    Page last reviewed: 16 JULY 2022