![]() If the family agrees to donation, the patient will be kept in the ICU connected to the ventilator receiving care for another 12-24 hours. If the person who has died is able to donate their organs and tissue, the doctor will discuss with the family the possibility of donation. Once someone has been confirmed as brain dead, and before anything else is done, the ICU doctor will meet with their immediate family to explain the situation and decide when the ventilator should be switched off and the heart allowed to stop. What happens after brain death is confirmed? Once the brain has died though, the kidneys, liver and eventually the heart will fail over a period of hours to days. This is because they are connected to a ventilator and the heart can continue to beat as long as it receives oxygen. How can someone who is brain dead still seem to be alive?ĭuring the process of brain death, someone’s skin can still feel warm and look pink and their chest will be moving. The patient’s time of death will be recorded as the time that brain death was confirmed. In such cases, radiological imaging is done to check if there is any blood flow to the brain. In some cases, not all of these tests can be done, such as when there are extensive facial injuries. can breathe when disconnected from the ventilator.įor a person to be certified brain dead, they must show no response to every one of these tests.has a cough or gag (swallowing) reaction when the back of the throat is touched.responds to ice cold water put into the ear canal.blinks or moves when each eye is touched. ![]() has any response when a light is shone in the pupil of each eye.These doctors check to see if the cranial nerves that pass through the brain stem and control all vital reflexes are working. Two senior doctors must perform separate tests at the bedside to determine whether the brain is working or not. It must be clear that there is no other reversible cause of the person’s condition.It must be certain that the person’s condition is not due to sedative drugs.There must be sufficient evidence of severe brain injury.How is brain death confirmed?īefore brain death can be confirmed, the following is required. To confirm brain death, a number of clinical tests are done. These changes, together with the loss of other natural processes, such as breathing and blinking, show the medical staff that the brain has died. When this happens, physical signs show, with changes to the way the pupils react to light, to the heart rate, to blood pressure and to body temperature. Sometimes, despite treatment, the swelling continues and the brain begins to die. be closely monitored for any changes in their condition.have a piece of skull removed and a drain inserted, to relieve the pressure caused by the swelling.have an indwelling urinary catheter put in.be ventilated, that is given breathing assistance.When someone with a brain injury is admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), they will be given treatment aimed at controlling and decreasing the brain swelling. The other is circulatory death, which is when a person’s heart stops functioning. Under Australian law, brain death is one of two situations in which a person can be certified dead. Since brain cells cannot grow or recover, brain death is irreversible. When this happens, the brain stops performing vital functions such as the controlling breathing, controlling the heart rate, keeping blood pressure up and keeping body temperature up. The swelling and pressure might become so severe that blood flow to the brain is blocked, which causes further damage to the brain.īrain cells are very sensitive to a lack of blood and oxygen. Because the brain is encased in the skull, which is rigid, this swelling can result in an increase in pressure. Just like any other part of the body, when the brain is injured, it swells. This can happen after a severe head injury, bleeding in the brain from a stroke or a haemorrhage, an infection in the brain, or a lack of oxygen to the brain. Brain death is when the brain has been so badly damaged that it completely and permanently stops functioning.
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