PHIL 259 Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: Artificial Ventilation, Putrefaction, Brain Death
21 Apr 2017
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Traditional definitions: need to define death, 18th c, the problem (right, criterion adopted: putrefaction, heart-lung criterion-cardio-respiratory death, mid-19th century. Problem with cardio-respiratory death: modern technology can revive someone who is cardio-respiratory dead. If resuscitated in time, the brain will not be damaged: modern life-support such as artificial respiration can keep vital signs despite loss of brain function. Brain death: distinguish cerebrum ( higher brain") and brainstem ( lower brain", destruction of brain stem causes loss of vital signs" cardio-respiratory death. New definition of death, 1981: new criterion: whole brain death, death can be declared despite continuing vital signs", concept of death: death of the organism. Irreversible cessation of bodily functioning among the interdependent bodily systems": same concept as heart-lung criterion. Effects of whole brain death: loss of consciousness, loss of brainstem-controlled reflexes, loss of cognitive, affective, integrative functions, survival is wholly dependent on artificial mechanisms.
