Defining Death Flashcards
1
Q
Stages of death
A
- Brain death
- Somatic Death
- Clinical death
- Cellular death
2
Q
Brain death is
A
No O2 for 5-10 minutes
3
Q
Somatic death is
A
No function of systems
4
Q
Clinical death is
A
No apparent vital signs
5
Q
Cellular death is
A
Molecular, no function of cells
6
Q
Modes of Dying
A
- Syncope
- Asphyxia
- Coma
7
Q
Syncope is
A
Failure of circulation (check pulse)
8
Q
Asphyxia is
A
Failure of respiration (examine chest)
9
Q
Coma is
A
Arrest of CNS (check pupil reflexes)
10
Q
When examining the body
A
The patient should be examined for at least 5 minutes
11
Q
Signs of death
A
- Dilated pupils that do not react to light
- Touch the skin - temperature?
- Absence of all reflexes
- Cessation of respiration (absence of breath sounds/clouding on mirror)
- Cessation of circulation (check pulse and heart sounds for 1-3 minutes)
- Flat brain waves of EEG
12
Q
Explain rigor mortis
A
- Muscle contraction requires ATP
- In death, muscles are initially relaxed
- Then contracted - rigor mortis
13
Q
What are the 3 criteria for diagnosing brainstem death?
A
- A person must be unconscious and fail to respond to outside stimulation
- A person’s heartbeat and breathing can only be maintained using a ventilator
- There must be clear evidence that serious brain damage has occurred and it can’t be cured
14
Q
Absence of brainstem reflexes
A
- Pupils fixed and non-responsive to light
- No corneal reflex
- Oculo-vestibular reflexes are absent
- No motor responses within the cranial nerves
- No cough reflex
- Respiratory response to hypercarbia (apnoea test)
15
Q
How do you check oculo-vestibular reflex?
A
Head is turned from side to side with head held briefly at each turn, with eyes open.
Eyes should rotate to the opposite side to rotation
