A person is confirmed as being dead when the brain stem stops working. The brain stem is responsible for regulating most of the body's automatic functions that are essential for life, including breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure. When the brain stem stops functioning, these vital functions cease, and the person is considered legally dead.
While a person's heart may still be beating and their body may appear alive, the absence of brain stem function indicates that the person's brain is no longer able to control these basic life functions.
Doctors use specific clinical tests to confirm brain death, which include:
- Absence of brain activity: This is determined by an electroencephalogram (EEG), which measures electrical activity in the brain.
- Absence of reflexes: This includes checking for pupillary reflexes (the pupils' reaction to light), corneal reflexes (the eyes' reaction to being touched), and gag reflexes.
- Absence of breathing: This is tested by removing the ventilator and observing if the person resumes breathing on their own.
Brain death is an irreversible condition, meaning that there is no possibility of recovery. In these cases, organs may be donated for transplantation after the person is declared legally dead.
