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CMAJ • March 20, 2001; 164 (6)
© 2001 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors

Review
Synthèse

Bioethics for clinicians: 24. Brain death

Neil M. Lazar*, Sam Shemie{dagger}, George C. Webster{ddagger} and Bernard M. Dickens§

*Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Joint Centre for Bioethics, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; {dagger}Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; {ddagger}Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Adjunct Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Manitoba, and Clinical Ethicist, Health Care Ethics Service, St. Boniface General Hospital Winnipeg, Man.; §Professor, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Medicine and Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.

Series editor: Dr. Peter A. Singer

Abstract

BRAIN DEATH IS DEFINED AS THE COMPLETE AND IRREVERSIBLE absence of all brain function. It is diagnosed by means of rigorous testing at the bedside. The advent of neurologic or brain death criteria to establish the death of a person was a significant departure from the traditional way of defining death and remains ethically challenging to some. We review the ethical, cultural, religious and legal issues surrounding brain death and outline an approach to establishing a diagnosis of brain death in clinical practice.




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eLetters:

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Brain Death and Integrated Functioning of the Organism
Michael Potts
CMAJ, 1 May 2001 [Full text]