lesson 15 - redefinition & determination of death Flashcards
To know or to be able to determine the
exact point in time when a person is dead
Redefine
Two important reasons of redefine death
- There is a widespread and increasing use of new devices for prolonging life
- There is a great demand for cadaver organs for transplantations
o Artificial respirator
o Electronic pacemakers
o Intravenous injection
o Feeding machines
They are under what reason of redefine death?
There is a widespread and increasing use of new devices for prolonging life
o Eyes
o Heart
o Kidneys
o Bone marrow
They are under of what reason of redefine death?
There is a great demand for cadaver organs for
transplantations
List down the reasons why some would not attach the dying person to life- maintaining devices
1) To avoid paying the numerous expenses
2) To eliminate the suffering of the dying individual
3) To be able to use life-support machines for patients who have better chances of survival
A person is dead when the heart has stopped beating.
Physiological Definition
Death means the separations of soul and body.
Religious or Philosophical Definition
Viewed as the principal of life
Soul
This refers to a condition in which the brain is completely destroyed, and in which the cessation of function if all other organs are imminent and inevitable
Brain Death Definition
Determines the total or irreversible loss if circulatory and the respiratory functions.
Others include absence of receptivity and responsiveness, absence of movement or breathing, and absence of reflexes
Electro Encephalography (EEG)
This refers to the disintegration and breakdown to the metabolic processes of the body’s substance. This definition considers the irreversible loss of neo-cotical activity as the only
significant criterion
Cellular Definition
_____ is the cessation of life; the total arrest of both intellectual and physiological functions in an individual; total ceasing of the circulation blood and of all vital functions, such as respiration and pulsation
Death
Death is the _____ of life; the total arrest of both intellectual and physiological functions in an individual; total ceasing of the circulation blood and of all vital functions, such as respiration and pulsation
Cessation
Agree that the complete and permanent absence of any brain related vital bodily function in an individual means that the individuals is
dead at least for purpose of definition.
Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Protestant scholars
The irreversible cessation of all vital bodily functions are accepted as reasonably accurate indicators which are adequate justifications for allowing such a processes as:
Embalming and Autopsy
Irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem.
Brain Death
The organ inside the head that controls thought, memory, feelings, and physical activity.
Brain
The irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions or the irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem.
Death
A legacy of donation of all or part of a human body authorizes any examination necessary to assure medical acceptability of the legacy or donation for the purpose(s) intended. For
purposes of this Act, an autopsy shall be conducted on the cadaver of accident, trauma, or other medico-legal cases immediately after the pronouncement of death, to determine
qualified and healthy human organs for transplantation and/or in furtherance of medical science.
This is what section of RA 7170?
Section 5
Section 5 of RA 7170
Examination of Human Body or Part Thereof
Organ Donation Act of 1991
RA 7170
RA 7170 is also known as the _____
Organ Donation Act of 1991
This indicates how dying individuals think about death and include acceptance and denial.
Cognitive Attitudes
“All that are born are bound to die.”
What type of attitude?
Cognitive Attitudes
“I’m still strong, I won’t die.”
What type of attitude?
Cognitive Attitudes
Which bear out the feelings of the dying individual may include depression, sense of loss, and fear
Affective Attitudes
“My life is worthless, I only wait for death.”
What type of attitude?
Affective Attitudes
Include anger or irritability, fear, resentment, bargaining.
Behavioral Attitudes
“Oh god, why me? There are more evil why aren’t they the one’s suffering like this?”
What type of attitude?
Behavioral Attitudes
“Oh God, don’t take me first, I have much more to accomplish in my life.”
What type of attitude?
Behavioral Attitudes
“Hopefully not now.”
What type of attitude?
Behavioral Attitudes
“I don’t want to die yet.”
What type of attitude?
Behavioral Attitudes
Russian theologian
Nikolai Berdyaev
States that only death can give meaning to life without death, life would be meaningless. Meaning is bound up with the end. Thus, our last hope lies in death. Immortality can be attained only through death. This is death’s great paradox. Death, then, is only a path, or an intermission number between the present and the hereafter.
Nikolai Berdyaev
Athenian thinker
Epicurus
Either there is immortality or there is none. If
there is, then we should be glad there is death, for once we are dead we shall become immortal; if there is none, then death is our final liberation from pain and suffering. In either case, therefore, we should not fear death but be happy about it. Moreover, continues Epicurus, if we are still alive, death has not yet come; but once we are dead, then death cannot touch us anymore. Therefore, whether we are alive or dead, death cannot touch us. We should not fear death.
Epicurus
A German existentialist
Martin Heidegger
Views death as the completion of life, for unless and until one dies, one’s life is not yet complete; hence his concept of man as being-towards death
Martin Heidegger
Quote Jesus Christ as saying “ I am the resurrection and the life; he that believes in Me, though He were dead, shall live again; and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.”
John the Evangelist
Regards death as a part of nature: it declares that a person is dead once the soul leaves the body.
What Ethical Theory is this?
Natural Law
The branch death definition seems to be
in keeping with the utility precept, i.e, promoting as better as possible and avoiding further harm and pain, if the dying patient is detached from all lifesupporting machines. Even the donation of transplantable vital organs, at least with informed consent, is warranted by the greatest happiness for the greatest number principle.
What Ethical Theory is this?
Utilitarian
This may also justify the unplugging of life-sustaining machines if and when they are no longer useful to the dying person at least, in fairness to the patient, so that they will not prolong his suffering.
What Ethical Theory is this?
Rowl’s Concept of Justice
