braindead

Braindead think of donation
It is now considered by the medical profession and supported by legal and some ethical consensus that if a person's entire brain is dead, the person is dead. The reason is that if the entire brain is destroyed, there is an absence of spontaneous breathing and cessation of heartbeat is expected soon. It is on the basis of this concept that all life support treatments which the patient may have had in place, before brain death has been established, can be removed because the patient is now considered dead. It also provides the opportunity to obtain organs from a brain dead patient, who had previously given consent, while the organs are still in good condition for transplantation. Families of a brain dead patient may have to be educated about the physiology.

brain-the thinking machine Brain Death - what is it
Causes of brain death
Brain death & Liver Transplantation

Brain Death - The Fatal Phenomenon

Brain death is defined as the irreversible loss of all functions of the brain.
It can be determined in several ways.
No electrical activity in the brain : this is determined by an EEG.
No blood flow to the brain as determined by clinical assessment (no movement, no response
to stimulation, no breathing, no brain reflexes.)

Causes of brain death

Anoxia : caused by drowning, respiratory diseases, or drug overdose.
Ischemia : Blockage of an artery leading to the brain or in the brain, heartattack
(stoppage of the heart for a period of time), bleeding in the brain.
Intracranial hematoma : caused by a head injury (a blow to the head) or a ruptured aneurism.
A gunshot wound to the head : causes destruction of brain tissue and swelling of the brain.
Intracarnial Aneurysm : the balooning of a blood vessel supplying the brain- can cut off blood supply or rupture.
Brain tumors : can destroy brain tissue and increase pressure within the brain.

When any of the above occur, they cause swelling of the brain. Because the brain is enclosed in the skull, it does not have romm to swell, thus pressure within the skull increases ( this is intracarnial pressure ). This can stop blood flow to the brain, killing brain cells and causes herniation of the brain (pushing the brain outside of its normal space). When brain cells die, they do not grow back, thus any damage caused is permanent and irreversible.

Brain death & Liver Transplantation brain-the thinking machine

The patient who is a Brain dead Cadaver can donate a whole liver . In western countries, these procedures are being done routinely for the last three decades successfully. In India 'brain death' has been accepted through an enacted law known as Organ Transplantation Act 1994. It is also estimated that more than 75,000 people meet with fatal accidents every year in India; Because of the severity of their injuries, about 50% of these people end up Brain Dead , even if they are still on life support. The chance to use their organs to save the lives of others has not even been considered. The organs of such a brain dead patient can save up to six lives when his eyes, heart, liver, kidneys, intestines & pancreas can be used in transplantation procedures. In fact a single liver can be split into two and can be transplanted into two persons at the same time.

brain-the thinking machine Consider a person who is declared brain dead. He/she can never exist without using life support machines at all times and that too without regaining consciousness. If the kith and kin realize the importance of organ donation at this point of time, then the person will continue to live in the lives of others. The gift of rebirth can and must be used..

A persons heart can be still be beating because of the ventilator and medications keep the blood pressure normal.

A person who is declared brain dead is legally dead.