Question

How far do you think doctors should go to save someone who has been declared brain-dead? How should this be determined? Explain

Answer 1

The brain death standard as a criterion of death eventhough ther are some evidence of dramatic recovery after brain death .Many believe that death is irreversible event that occurs instantly ,distinct from the process of dying .Consequently the very moment of death cannot be determined.

DOCTORS usually advise stopping life support when there may also is no hope for recovery because patients organs are no longer able to function on their own.Keeping the treatment going at that point may draw out the process of dying and may also be costly

Choosing to remove life support usually means patient will die within hours or days .the timing depends on what treatment is stopped.People tend to stop breathng and die soon after a ventilators shuts off .When patient is unconscious or not of sound mind ,doctors and family members will decide when life support measures should stop .It is important to remember that it's the underlying condition,not the removel of life support ,that actually cause someone to die ,and docters will do all they can to keep your loved one comfortable.

treatments

support the patient with ventilatory support if patient want  respiratory support

median nerve stimulation can help to awaken comatose patients,while transcranial laser therapy has been found to improve recovery from neurodegenerative disease

The steps for determining brain death are summarised below

1)Establish proximate cause and irreversibitlity of coma and monitor th patient for an appropriate waiting period in order to exclude the possibility of recovery.

2)Initiate the hospital policy for notifying the patients's Surrogate Decision-maker

3)Conduct and document the clinical assesment of brain stem reflexes

4)Perform and document the apnea test

5)Perform ancillary testing,If indicated

6)If the individual's religious or moral objection to the brain death standard is known,implement hospital policies for reasonable accommodation

7)Certify brain death

8)Discontinur cardio-respiratory support in accordance with hospital policies,including those for organ donation.