Should Brain Dead Patients Be Considered Dead?

1. Should Brain Dead Patients
Be considered Dead?
Animikha Ghosh
ROLL-UG/08/BTBIOT/2018/061
REG NO-AU/2018/08/0002781
BTBT VIII
SoLB

2. INTRODUCTION
Brain death is defined as lack of consciousness while other
physiological activities might present. In this circumstances,
fundamental questions arise regarding the definition of life and death.
Side by side, It is worth mentioning consciousness involves being aware
of self and your surrounding. Once you lose your consciousness you
lose your ability to interact with environment. However, brain death is
certainly not equivalent of biological death which I will discuss in this
assignment. Improved technology such as ventilator and deep brain
stimulation has changed the paradigm. In this regard , it is important to
clearly establish the relation between irreversible brain death and
legally dead.

3. Jahi McMath
A 13 year old girl named Jahi McMath is declared dead on December
12 ,2013. Her case is remembered as a perfect example of False
Positive diagnosis of brain death. The case drew attention as her
mother faught a long legal battle. It was observed during her time in
hospital that she showed signs of puberty. Her heart was still beating.
Additionally It is noteworthy that they are christians by faith and
belonged to African-American community. There is no denial to the fact
there's already exists a history of long distrust and disbelief among
African-Americans and medical practitioners which fueled the overall
situation.

4. • What is Brain Death?
In 1968 the Harvard Medical School Committee developed a definition of death.
According to this definition, a person is brain dead when he or she has suffered
irreversible cessation of the functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem.
• Diagnosis of Brain Death:
o Patient is In persistent coma
(No eye movement, verbal response and no movement to painful stimulus)
o lack of brain stem reflex
(no response to light or cough response to throat suction)
o Patient can not breathe without assistance
(Mechanical ventilation needed)

5. Conclusion and perspective:
• It is evident that brain death patients are not biologically dead. But for large section of medical
professionals and legal practitioners brain death is the core definition death which is not scientific
in any way.
• This is not to say brain dead patients would become responsive again in all cases . If significant
brain injury occurs then patients are less likely to be responsive . But the two terms " brain death
" and "death" must be clearly understood and distinguished . Death is when It is confirmed that
you fulfil the criteria of brain death followed by a Cardiorespiratory arrest.
• Another noteworthy point is brain dead patients are lucrative source of organs for organ
transplantation. Therefore , they should be given ventilation support and other medication
support. However, this is not for sake of the patient or his/her family, rather for the consensus
that other patients could be saved who are waiting long for their chance to be recovered.
• In case of pregnant women, where the life of the fetus is the main concern the similar approach
should be taken.

6. Reference
• Walter K. Brain Death. JAMA. 2020;324(11):1116.
doi:10.1001/jama.2020.15898
• https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/07/harvard-ethicist-
robert-truog-on-why-brain-death-remains-controversial/
Accessed on 24th April,2022