Revista médica de Chile
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The concept of death has evolved medically, legally and culturally since the introduction of life support technologies in the middle of the 20th century. The traditional cardiopulmonary and the new neurologically based brain death criterions of death are examined. We conclude that brain death, defined as total and irreversible loss of function of the whole brain, fulfills better "the permanent cessation of functioning of the organism as a whole" definition of death. ⋯ Ethics foundations of organ transplantation are reviewed. Even though brain death and organ donation are widely accepted in medical, legal, religious and public opinion today, the whole society and medical community need to be further educated about these matters, so that unavoidable changes of traditional concepts might be better understood. Permanent education should be the best way to dissipate social fears and distrust towards organ donation and brain death.
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This paper undertakes an analysis of the scientific criteria used in the diagnosis of death and underscores the importance of intellectual rigor in the definition of medical concepts, particularly regarding such a critical issue as the diagnosis of death. Under the cardiorespiratory criterion, death is defined as "the irreversible cessation of the functioning of an organism as a whole", and the tests used to confirm this criterion (negative life-signs) are sensitive and specific. In this case, cadaverous phenomena appear immediately following the diagnosis of death. ⋯ It is clear that brain death marks the beginning of a process that eventually ends in death, though death does not occur at that moment. From an ethical point of view, the conflict arises between the need to provide an unequivocal diagnosis of death and the possibility of saving a life through organ transplantation. The sensitive issue of brain death calls for a more thorough and in-depth discussion among physicians and the community at large.
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Revista médica de Chile · Jan 2004
[Mechanical ventilation in patients with acute neurological disease: survival and functional outcome].
The need of mechanical ventilation among patients with acute neurological diseases is considered a poor prognostic sign. ⋯ Neurological patients requiring mechanical ventilation had a lower mortality than previously reported, and half of the survivors have an independent life. This study supports intensive care management in this group of patients.