“When is a person dead?”
- Read chapter two of your text. When is a person “dead”?
- Does death take place when the heart stops beating, when a person stops breathing, when there is no longer brain activity or is there another way to determine the moment of death?
- I want you to research this topic in at least two or three sources and explain when you think death takes place.
responded to two peers 2 days agoMeri Katherine Parsh COLLAPSEWhen determining the moment of death, I have realized it is a complex and often debated topic. While traditional ideas revolve around heart-stopping or breathing ceasing, advancements in medical technology have shown that brain activity can also play a significant role. In fact, in some cases, a person’s heart may continue to beat artificially even after all brain activity has ceased. As we continue to learn more about the intricacies of life and death, it is important to recognize the nuance and complexity in defining such a pivotal moment.Death can be difficult to define, as cases of individuals being kept on life support even after being declared brain dead have shown. Jahi McMath and Marlise Munoz are two such cases, with McMath’s family fighting to keep her on a ventilator after three doctors declared her legally dead and Munoz’s hospital refusing to remove her from a ventilator due to her being 14 weeks pregnant at the time of her brain death (Singh, 2014). While the “irreversible cessation of all functions of the brain” is the standard definition of death, some confuse brain death with a coma or a vegetative state. When determining brain death, one of the tests that can be used to evaluate cerebral blood flow is cerebral angiography. Specifically, four-vessel angiography is considered the gold standard for this purpose, as it can confirm the cessation of blood flow to the brain. (Aboubakr, 2023). Doctors use various tests to determine brain death, including checking for reflexes and testing for increased carbon dioxide levels in the blood.In my opinion, death can be seen as a process rather than a singular event. While there are certain physical markers that may indicate the end of life, such as the cessation of brain activity or the inability to breathe independently, the emotional and spiritual experience of dying may be more complicated. Furthermore, the concept of death can be influenced by cultural, religious, and personal beliefs, making it difficult to establish a universal definition. Ultimately, the determination of when death takes place is complex and may depend on a multitude of factors.Aboubakr, M. (2023, January). PubMed. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Singh, M. (2014, January 10). Why do hospitals and families still struggle to define death. NPR. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/01/…peers 2 Good evening everyone, I hope all is well! This week we will discussing “when is a person dead”. In my post I will be covering if death takes place when the heart stops beating, when a person stops breathing, when there is no longer brain activity, or if there is another way to determine the moment of death. I don’t think I’ve ever really thought about knowing when a person is dead, nor do I ever think I’ve had to. Honestly I feel that there are two types of dead, a person can be dead on the inside which can be described as “finding it difficult to process emotions like happiness or sadness” (Plumptre,2023) or physically dead as in gone from this earth and that is medically described as “irreversible cessation of all functions of the brain” (Singh, 2014) . With both of these types there is always a lack of something resulting in the term “death”. In taking a deeper look into this topic I’ve found that death is absolute a certainty of life (Singh, 2014) and it is bound to happen there is no way around it or no where to go where we can avoid it. In the question does death take place when the heart stops beating the answer is yes, but only if the heart is not restarted right away (Yale, 2022) if there is someone or something nearby to get the heart pumping again the person isn’t necessarily dead and whether or not they are truly dead relates back to what I stated earlier about the functioning of the brain. It is difficult to say if death takes place when a person stops breathing because we know that the heart is what keeps everything flowing and alive a person can stop breathing but if the heart is still pumping then technically they are not dead in order for death to take place when a person stops breathing one thing must be true “there is no breathing or heartbeat” (Hospice, 2021) together collectively. If there is no longer brain activity we still cannot rule it death because “in a coma or vegetative state a person is still alive” (Bernat, 2014) and this just shows us that although the person is alive the may be no brain activity at the moment they are in a vegetative state, but who’s to say once they come out that brain function wont resume again? Lastly another way to determine death would be by “ different families religious and moral views in determining death” (Sing, 2014) death can be classified in three different ways when the brain has no function, when the heart stops beating , and brain dead with minor functions of the brain remaining (Singh, 2014). For me I think that death takes place when there is no longer any brain function and the person is unable to affectively communicate with the outside world. I cant wait to see all the lessons this class has in store for us, wishing everyone a great week ahead! JayWC: 509References: Hospice , O. C. (2021). The physical process of dying. healthdirect. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/the-physical-proce… Plumptre, E. (2023, March 28). Why do I feel “dead” inside? Verywell Mind. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.verywellmind.com/why-do-i-feel-dead-in… Singh, M. (2014, January 10). Why hospitals and families still struggle to define death. NPR. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/01/… Yale Medicine. (2022, October 29). Sudden cardiac arrest. Yale Medicine. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/cardiac-arrest#:~:text=When%20the%20heart%20stops%20pumping%20blood%2C%20it%27s%20called%20cardiac%20arrest,if%20treatment%20is%20quickly%20delivered.
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