Brain Death-Things you must know

Brain death occurs when a critically ill person placed on artificial life support machine (ventilator) and no longer has any brain functions due to a lack of oxygen or blood supply to the brain.

The concept of brain death can be challenging for grieving families to comprehend as they cope with the devastating loss of their loved ones. Often, for a patient with a non-traumatic brain injury like a stroke or heart attack, there seems to be no superficial sign that one has suffered a devastating and non-survivable injury to the brain. The patient appears to be asleep, and breathing, even though with the help of a machine. Although the heart continues to beat while the ventilator delivers oxygen to the lungs but, the person is dead. If the ventilator support is withdrawn, the person will not be able to breathe on his own as their brain has stopped functioning and the heart won’t pump blood on its own.

Here are some of the important things you must know about brain death.

What causes brain death?

Brain death is caused by:

Cardiac arrest – when the heart stops beating

Heart attack – when the blood supply to the heart is suddenly stopped

Stroke – when the blood supply to the brain is blocked or interrupted

Blood clot – a blockage in a blood vessel that disrupts or blocks the flow of blood around the body

Brain death can also be caused by-

A severe head injury

A brain haemorrhage

Infections, such as encephalitis, meningitis

A brain tumour

Is Brain Death same as Vegetative State?

No. Brain Death is different from a Vegetative State.

A vegetative state is a chronic state of brain dysfunction in which a person is awake but shows no signs of awareness. A person in vegetative state may open their eyes but not respond to their surroundings. However, it is possible to recover from a vegetative state to some degree, given time, but brain death is permanent.

Is Brain Death same as Coma?

No. Brain Death is different from a Comatose state.

A prolonged state of complete unconsciousness with no eye-response is called coma. When an individual is in a coma, they are in a state of unconsciousness with minimal brain activity. Although the person is alive, they cannot be awakened and appear unresponsive to their surroundings. While a coma is a state of unconsciousness, it does not necessarily indicate the complete loss of brain function.

How is Brain Death Confirmed?

The tests for brain death are designed to evaluate a patient's response to stimuli, including shining a torch into both eyes to see if they react to the light, touch, and pain. The absence of any response is a strong indication of brain death. Signs of brain death also includes the person being unable to breathe on its own when the ventilator is detached and an EEG shows no brain activity at all.

How can one be called brain dead if their heart is still beating?

Being informed that someone has brain death can frequently lead to confusion as the life support machine keeps the patient’s heart beating with every breath from the ventilator. However, without the assistance of life support machine, the patient will cease breathing almost immediately, and their heart will stop within a matter of minutes.

After brain death is declared, what happens next?

After a person experiences brain death, their organs may still be viable for transplant, potentially saving the lives of others. By donating their organs, a person can give the gift of life to others who are suffering from life-threatening illnesses. This act of generosity can provide hope and healing to those in need, and it is a testament to the power of human compassion.

However, it is essential to understand that, the individual is already legally dead and removing the ventilator does not cause any harm. Moreover, the medical staff must provide a compassionate explanation to the grieving family that the brain is irreversibly damaged, resulting in the person's death, and there is no possibility of regaining consciousness.

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