Brain death is the irreversible loss of all brain functions, including breathing control, heartbeat and blood pressure, as well as movements and hearing.
This means that a person with brain death, also called brain death, has no ability to maintain the vital functions of the body, such as breathing alone or responding to stimuli.
Brain death is confirmed by one or more doctors, such as a neurologist or neurosurgeon, through the evaluation of brain damage and tests that evaluate brain activity.
Brain death symptoms
The symptoms that indicate that this is a brain death are:
- Absence of spontaneous breathingthat is, the person cannot breathe alone, with breathing being maintained with the help of appliances;
- Absence of pain or response to stimulihow to chop a needle in the body or touch the eyeball of the person;
- NO CONTRACTION OF EYE Pupilswhen stimulated by a light source;
- Jump When something is placed on the top of the throat.
In the presence of these symptoms, doctors should confirm the diagnosis by performing tests for brain death.
Can the person with brain death listen?
It is not yet known if the person with brain death can hear.
In a study in the United States, it was found that some people could hear, although they do not respond.
However, the study is not directly related to brain death and more studies are needed to evaluate this possibility.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of brain death should be made by two different doctors, such as a neurologist and neurosurgeon, by observing the symptoms and through tests that should be performed within two different days.
To assess whether the person has brain death, make an appointment with the neurologist in the region closest to you:
Tests and examinations for brain death help rule out conditions with similar symptoms such as drug, poisons or medications, hypotormy, hypothyroidism, brain trunk encephalitis, hepatic encephalopathy or Guillain-Barré syndrome, for example.
Brain death tests
The main tests and tests for brain death are:
- Pupil reaction test Using a flashlight to check if the pupils contract when exposed to light;
- Eye Sensitivity Test To evaluate if the person reacts when a fabric or a piece of cotton is leaning on the eyeball;
- Evaluation of the response to stimuli When applying pressure to the forehead and nose;
- Eye Movement Test inserting cold water into each ear to see if the person moves the eyes upon receiving this stimulus;
- Choking test or cough reflection when inserting a small plastic tube into the trachea;
- Apnea Test which evaluates the person’s ability to breathe on their own by turning off their breathing device for a short time;
- Verbal Stimulus Response Testwhere the person’s ability to speak or respond is verified;
- Heart Frequency Evaluation In increasing by more than 5 beats per minute after taking a dose of 1 to 2 mg of atropine directly in the vein;
- Electroencephalogram To assess whether the brain has electrical activity;
- Angiografia cerebral To verify the presence of blood flow in the brain;
- Doppler Transcraniano to confirm the absence of blood flow in the brain;
- Cerebral perfusion scintigraphy To analyze if there is blood flow and brain metabolism.
Before starting tests to confirm brain death, doctors should perform a number of tests and checks to ensure that symptoms are not caused by other factors.
Possible causes
Brain death is caused by conditions that affect the supply of blood and/or oxygen to the brain, which causes the brain to fire, which is scientifically known as cerebral edema.
When this happens, the skull, which does not increase in size, compresses the brain, resulting in decreased brain activity.
Over time, and if this swelling is not treated, irreversible damage may arise in the brain that put life at risk.
Also read: Cerebral edema: what is, symptoms, causes and treatment
tuasaude.com/edema-cerebral
Who has the highest risk
The main factors that may increase the risk of brain death are:
- Head trauma or subarachnoid hemorrhage; ;
- Heart attack or cardiorespiratory arrest;
- Stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage;
- Swelling in the brain or increased intracranial pressure;
- Brain infections such as encephalitis.
In addition, brain aneurysm or brain tumor may also increase the risk of brain death.
Does brain death have a cure?
Brain death has no cure because the brain has been damaged that it is not possible to reverse. This means that the brain is no longer working and there is no possibility of working again.
However, although the brain no longer has any activity, other organs such as kidney, liver or heart can still work for a short time, while the person is kept “alive” by handsets in the hospital.
CEREBAL DEATH TREATMENT
There is no treatment for brain death, as it is an irreversible condition.
However, the vital functions of the person in brain death can be kept in the hospital with the help of devices, but the person is considered legally and clinically dead as there is no chance of recovery.
The person with brain death can be kept “alive” through the devices for how long the family desires, although it is only desired that the patient be kept in this state for some time if he is donor of organs to ensure the removal of the organs for later transplantation in another patient.
Is brain death the same as coma or vegetative state?
When a person has confirmed brain death means that no part of the person’s brain is working longer and, legally the person is considered dead.
This is different from being in a coma or in a vegetative state, because in these cases there is some function of the brain trunk and possibly some other part of the brain and the person is legally considered alive. Understand the difference between brain death and coma.
Source: www.tuasaude.com