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An essay on organ transplantation
An essay on organ transplantation
Abstract essays about organ transplantation
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1. Introduction
The brain has many different parts to it which help one function through daily life; parts such as the cerebrum which controls voluntary movement and regulates functions such as thinking, speaking and the ability to recall information. The cerebellum controls the balance and coordination and finally the brain stem, which consists of the medulla oblongata and the spinal cord which controls all involuntary functions such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. The brain stem is also able to carry out these actions even when someone is asleep. To fully understand how crucial the brain is to survival one must understand the functions of the brain stem.
Brain death occurs when brain cells, which cannot regenerate themselves, are injured or dead. This results in brain death as the brain becomes starved of oxygen. One can only be pronounced brain dead, by a neurologist and even then, a number of criteria must be met, some of these include; unresponsiveness to stimuli; no reflexes and an inability to breathe unaided by a machine(Goila and Pawar, 2009). At this point one is put on a ventilator. A ventilator is a machine which maintains the circulation of blood, oxygen and nutrients to organs around the body. To put a patient on life support is very costly to the family of the patient and even the hospital.
Once a person is brain dead they are said to be legally dead and the time and date of death is reflected on their death certificate. In South Africa it is not stated that doctors can withdraw life support once a patient is declared brain dead due to ethical debates (Fleischer, 2003). There have been some cases where people have been declared brain dead but then regain some brain activity (Greenberg, 2014). This h...
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...deserve to be laid to rest. Retrieved 2014, from sundial.csun.edu: http://sundial.csun.edu/2014/01/brain-dead-patients-deserve-to-be-laid-to-rest/
Pawar, A. K. (2009). the diagnosis of brain death. Retrieved january 29, 2014, from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2772257/ unknown. (2013). FAQ. Retrieved 2014, from odf.org.za: https://www.odf.org.za/2013-06-11-09-17-45/faq.html unknown. (2011, october 27). inside the human brain. Retrieved january 19, 2014, from nia.nih.gov: http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/part-1-basics-healthy-brain/inside-human-brain unknown. (2014). what is life support. Retrieved 2014, from wisegeek.org: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-life-support.htm
Wickline, S. (2014). A Brain-Dead Mother, a Million-Dollar Baby. Retrieved 2014, from medpagetoday.com: http://www.medpagetoday.com/OBGYN/Pregnancy/43736
cortex, the thinking part of the brain, id dead. The brain stem, the part of the
Kemp, Joe. A. “Fetus of pregnant, brain-dead Texas woman ‘distinctly abnormal’: lawyers.” NYDailyNews. New York Daily News. 23 Jan. 2014.
When a person is battling between life and death physicians have to check for signs of death. Kastebaum states that “the most common signs of death have been lack of respiration, pulse, and heartbeat, as well as failure to respond to stimuli such as light, movement, and pain. Lower body temperature and
There is a low susses rate for a child of a maternal brain dead mother for the baby to live. When a woman is declared brain dead they are sent for burial or other final respects. In this case, however, the woman is pregnant and there is a fetus to think about. The problem lies with the susses rate of the child be born or being born without any complications. There are only 5 reported successful cases of brain death births (Lsaacson et al. 1996). The body at this point is just used for an incubator for the unborn child. The rate for the child to come out with no complications or in the body of the mother to produce complications is less than 10% (Lsaacson et al. 1996). Knowing all of this, why would one want to put their body through all of this for such a low success rate with current medical technologies.
Through advances in medical technology, some patients who previously would have passed away can now be kept alive by artificial ways. In some cases a patient may want such treatment because it is a momentary step possibly leading to the restoration of
Unreceptively and unresponsively. “Even the most intensely painful stimuli evoke no vocal or other response, not even a groan, withdrawal of a limb or quickening of respiration,” (Ward 28). No movements or spontaneous breathing (being aided by a respirator does not count). Doctors must follow patients for at least one time of day to make sure they make no spontaneous muscular movements or spontaneous breathing. To try the latter, physicians are to bend off the respirator for three transactions to determine if the patient attempts to take a breather on his own (the trial).No reflexes. To look for reflexes, doctors are to shine a light in the eyes to make sure the pupils are enlarged. Muscles are tested. Ice water is poured in the ears. Doctors should use “electroencephalography, a test of great confirmatory value,”(Ward 32) to make sure that the patient has flat brain waves. After none of the criterions respond to the recipient, the doctor must “legally” declare the person brain dead. This is where family members often have difficult deciding whether they should continue having their loved one under life support. The respirator will continue to keep the persons organs alive for a certain period of time but family members must confront with a decision if they would want to donate or continue to have them
Since the brain is extremely fragile and difficult to access without risking further damage, imaging techniques are used frequently as a noninvasive method of visualizing the brain’s structure and activity. Today's technology provides many useful tools for studying the brain. But even with our highest technology out there we do not know everything definitely. We do have fallbacks at times and these fallbacks can lead to serious problems.
Like all organs, the brain needs the oxygen and nutrients provided by blood to function properly. If the supply of blood is restricted or stopped, brain cells begin to die. This can lead to brain injury, disability and possibly death.
The definition of death is crucial for the benefit of the person, their family, and those who wait for organs. The first definition, the total stoppage of the circulation of the blood, and cessation of vital functions such as the heart and lungs. Cardiopulmonary considers the state of deep irreversible unconsciousness life and disregards the necessity of organs (Pojman 101). Thus, the second definition is declaring death despite vital signs like cardiopulmonary death—whole brain death concludes the cerebrum (higher brain) and brainstem (lower brain) losing function is the end of life (Pojman 102). Similarly, it involves the death of an organism. Indifference, it allows for functioning organs to be harvested before being damaged by time and it limits the definition of life. The final
The subject of death and dying is a common occurrence in the health care field. There are many factors involved in the care of a dying patient and various phases the patient, loved ones and even the healthcare professional may go through. There are many controversies in health care related to death, however much of it roots from peoples’ attitudes towards it. Everyone handles death differently; each person has a right to their own opinions and coping mechanisms. Health care professionals are very important during death related situations; as they are a great source of support for a patient and their loved ones. It is essential that health care professionals give ethical, legal and honest care to their patients, regardless of the situation.
Frederick, Calvin J. "Death and Dying." Microsoft® Encarta® 98 Encyclopedia. © 1993-1997: Microsoft Corporation. CD-ROM.
The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system. The brain doesn't just control your organs, but also can think and remember. That part of the brain is called the mind.
The brain is made up of three main parts, the cerebrum, cerebellum, and the brain stem. The cerebrum uses information around us to tell us how to react to actions. The cerebellum, controls our balance and actions. The brain stem controls basic functions such as eating, talking, and walking. The nucleus accumbens, located in the cerebrum, is part of the brain’s reward circuitry and becomes activated when we look at social media.
The nervous system’s main function is to coordinate all of the activities in the body. The main organs are the cerebellum, which controls and coordinates movement. The cerebrum, is the center for conscious thought, learning, and memory. The last main organ is the brain stem. The brain stem keeps the automatic systems in your body working. Problems of the nervous system include, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis. You can care for your nervous system by wearing a seatbelt, wearing a helmet, and by not using drugs or alcohol. Something very confusing about the nervous system is that the left side of human brain controls the right side of the body and the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body!
terminally ill person at their will or if the patient is incapable of making the