மூளைச்சாவு (அ) மூளை இறப்பு - தெரிந்து கொள்வோம் (Brain Death)

Brain death

Brain death is the total and irreversible loss of all brain function and the

circumstance under which the donation of vital organs most commonly takes place.



Brain death occurs when a person has an irreversible, catastrophic brain injury,

which causes total cessation of all brain function (the upper brain structure and brain stem).

Brain death is not a coma or persistent vegetative state.

Brain death is determined in the hospital by one or more physicians

not associated with a transplantation team.



Some causes of brain death include (but are not limited to):

*Trauma to the brain (i.e. severe head injury caused by a motor vehicle crash,

gunshot wound, fall or blow to the head)

*Cerebrovascular injury (i.e. stroke or aneurysm)

*Anoxia (i.e. drowning or heart attack when the patient is revived,

but not before a lack or blood flow/oxygen to the brain has caused brain death)

*Brain tumor



When the brain is injured, it responds like other injuries—it swells.

However, the brain is confined in the skull and has no room to swell.

This leads to brain death.



How does the doctor determine brain death?

Doctors examining the patient will conduct a battery of tests to determine

whether any brain activity is present.

If all brain activity is absent, the patient is dead.



Organ Donation

Organ Donation is the gift of an organ to a person with end stage organ disease

and who needs a transplant.



How can you be a donor?

The process of organ donation

*Living people in their lifetime can pledge their organs.

They will receive Donor Card which acts as a will for donating the organs.

*In case of brain dead patients, Transplantation of Human Organs

Act has been established with the rules to be followed for organ donation.

Apart from the procedures laid down in the act, consent from family, coroner and

legal authorities is obtained before starting the process.