Brain Death

[anonymous1515]

Brain death is defined as the "irreversible end of all brain activity." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_death#Brain_death_and_consciousness

"A brain-dead individual has no clinical evidence of brain function upon physical examination. This includes no response to pain and no cranial nerve reflexes. Reflexes include pupillary response (fixed pupils), oculocephalic reflex, corneal reflex, no response to the caloric reflex testrespirations. and no spontaneous respirations"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_death#Brain_death_and_consciousness

Individuals in this state are kept alive through the help of a ventilator. Do you guys/girls think that it is unethical to remove these individuals from the ventilator?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_activity

 

[Tavita]

No, I don't think it unethical. When a person's heart stops breathing it doesn't necessarily mean they're dead, but when the brain has gone then there's not much that can be done. I've had first hand experience with this, the person was brain dead and could not have been brought back. His body was kept going on a ventilator because he was a donator. Other than that, it's merciful to let them go.

 

[anonymous1515]

No, I don't think it unethical. When a person's heart stops breathing it doesn't necessarily mean they're dead, but when the brain has gone then there's not much that can be done. I've had first hand experience with this, the person was brain dead and could not have been brought back. His body was kept going on a ventilator because he was a donator. Other than that, it's merciful to let them go.

I agree. I do not think that there is any real reason to prolong the "life" of somebody who is brain-dead.

 

[HuntingMan]

Brain death is defined as the "irreversible end of all brain activity." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_death#Brain_death_and_consciousness

"A brain-dead individual has no clinical evidence of brain function upon physical examination. This includes no response to pain and no cranial nerve reflexes. Reflexes include pupillary response (fixed pupils), oculocephalic reflex, corneal reflex, no response to the caloric reflex testrespirations. and no spontaneous respirations"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_death#Brain_death_and_consciousness

Individuals in this state are kept alive through the help of a ventilator. Do you guys/girls think that it is unethical to remove these individuals from the ventilator?

My personal view is that if person is actually brain dead then it is unethical to keep their body alive.
People talk about Gods will where abortion and birth control are concerned, but then seem to ignore Gods 'will' when a person is dead. If the brain is literally dead, then it is unethical and clearly not in Gods will to keep this body alive. The person is dead.

No, I dont think its in the least unethical to take a dead person off life support, no.

 

[HuntingMan]

No, I don't think it unethical. When a person's heart stops breathing it doesn't necessarily mean they're dead, but when the brain has gone then there's not much that can be done. I've had first hand experience with this, the person was brain dead and could not have been brought back. His body was kept going on a ventilator because he was a donator. Other than that, it's merciful to let them go.

That happened with my grandmother.
She had an aneurysm and they basically said her brain was dead but they were keeping her body alive. We had them turn the machine off.
I can understand when someone loses a child or a loved one being so overwhelmed that they refuse to let the person go, tho. Id never judge anyone who kept the life support going for a while so they can take some time to work thru the pain.

 

[Tavita]

That happened with my grandmother.
She had an aneurysm and they basically said her brain was dead but they were keeping her body alive. We had them turn the machine off.
I can understand when someone loses a child or a loved one being so overwhelmed that they refuse to let the person go, tho. Id never judge anyone who kept the life support going for a while so they can take some time to work thru the pain.

Yes, I can understand it too. My husband had aneurysm's near the brain stem, three of them, the docs tried to operate but it didn't work, at that time, that was about twenty eight years ago. I hear things have changed. But then again, it all depends on the circumstance of each person. I'm sorry that you lost you grandmother that way.

 

[intricatic]

You can look at the topic from the angle of genetics, as well. Would it be ethical to clone a body with no brain, keep it alive by means of artificial life support, and use it to harvest organs? It serves a utilitarian purpose through this measure, but I think that's what makes it so deceptive.

 

[sidnee]

Brain death is defined as the "irreversible end of all brain activity." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_death#Brain_death_and_consciousness

"A brain-dead individual has no clinical evidence of brain function upon physical examination. This includes no response to pain and no cranial nerve reflexes. Reflexes include pupillary response (fixed pupils), oculocephalic reflex, corneal reflex, no response to the caloric reflex testrespirations. and no spontaneous respirations"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_death#Brain_death_and_consciousness

Individuals in this state are kept alive through the help of a ventilator. Do you guys/girls think that it is unethical to remove these individuals from the ventilator?

I believe if someone is on a ventilator then they should be removed when their brain is dead...personally i dont see it as unethical.

You can look at the topic from the angle of genetics, as well. Would it be ethical to clone a body with no brain, keep it alive by means of artificial life support, and use it to harvest organs? It serves a utilitarian purpose through this measure, but I think that's what makes it so deceptive.

That gets complicated...it would be awesome for someone dying of lung cancer and desperately in need of new lungs....but where do you draw the line?

 

[Ave Maria]

No, I do not think that it is unethical to remove such people from a ventilator. However, I do think that it needs to be well established (including a possible second opinion) that the person is truly brain dead before removing them from life support.