Ethical Delemis - Brain Death
Running head: ETHICAL DILEMMA: BRAIN DEATH
Ethical Dilemma: Brain Death
Mike Baker
University of Phoenix
Introduction
There has been an increase in the number of organs donated for transplantation since the development and acceptance of brain death. (Guidelines for the determination of death, 1981) The strict rules surrounding the diagnosis and the ability to develop individualized Policy and Procedures in the determination of brain death has removed the fear of law suite surrounding this definition of death. (Guidelines for the determination of death, 1981)
Old vs. New
Until brain death was introduced the diagnosis of death was the lack of cardiac function. Without a heart beat blood did not circulate and oxygen could not be delivered to the body in order to sustain life. Research showed that with out brain function the body organs over a period of time shut down as they are not getting the signals from the non-functioning brain. Once total and complete function of the brain is lost there is no way to restart or regenerate the function of the brain. For this reason the term of brain death was developed and accepted by the medical community as a legal state of death. (Determination of death, 1980)
The hard part for the medical and general public to accept was the person pronounced dead by brain death criteria was warm, breathing assisted by a ventilator, had a heart beat, and for all appearances was still alive just sleeping or in a deep coma. People felt if given time the person would just wake up. Still today years since the term and definition was introduced families are still having a hard time accepting the definition and that their loved one is legally dead.
Ethical Dilemma
While organ donation has increased with the development of brain death criteria the diligence need in order to protect the patient has as so grown. Following the organizations Policy and Procedures step by step in order to make the
Ethical Dilemma: Brain Death
Mike Baker
University of Phoenix
Introduction
There has been an increase in the number of organs donated for transplantation since the development and acceptance of brain death. (Guidelines for the determination of death, 1981) The strict rules surrounding the diagnosis and the ability to develop individualized Policy and Procedures in the determination of brain death has removed the fear of law suite surrounding this definition of death. (Guidelines for the determination of death, 1981)
Old vs. New
Until brain death was introduced the diagnosis of death was the lack of cardiac function. Without a heart beat blood did not circulate and oxygen could not be delivered to the body in order to sustain life. Research showed that with out brain function the body organs over a period of time shut down as they are not getting the signals from the non-functioning brain. Once total and complete function of the brain is lost there is no way to restart or regenerate the function of the brain. For this reason the term of brain death was developed and accepted by the medical community as a legal state of death. (Determination of death, 1980)
The hard part for the medical and general public to accept was the person pronounced dead by brain death criteria was warm, breathing assisted by a ventilator, had a heart beat, and for all appearances was still alive just sleeping or in a deep coma. People felt if given time the person would just wake up. Still today years since the term and definition was introduced families are still having a hard time accepting the definition and that their loved one is legally dead.
Ethical Dilemma
While organ donation has increased with the development of brain death criteria the diligence need in order to protect the patient has as so grown. Following the organizations Policy and Procedures step by step in order to make the
References: Guidelines for the determination of death, 1981, Report of the medical consultants on the diagnosis of death to the President 's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. JAMA, 246, 1981. Title 22, Chapter 706, UNIFORM DETERMINATION OF DEATH ACT, §2811. Determination of death, accessed from the world wide web on December 16, 2007 at http://janus.state.me.us/legis/statutes/22/title22ch706.pdf