Brain Death Criterion Essay. Overview and Analysis
The finished document you submit will be a 3-5 paragraph essay of at least 500 words. You should use our class textbook as your main source. You will need to use APA in-line citations and reference list (not counted for word count requirement purposes).
QUESTION
Studies show that two-thirds of nurses and physicians likely to be involved in organ retrieval do not understand the brain-death criterion covered in Ch. 6 of your textbook. Demonstrate in your essay your understanding of the brain-death criterion, including an overview of its development, main components, main problems, and controversial cases. Suggested organization:
Provide an overview of the brain-death criterion and its most important components/rules as it relates to this question. You can get most of this information in the Deveterre textbook (provide APA citations), but you can also use outside sources, if needed, as long as you provide citations. (1 paragraph)
Using your Deveterre textbook for citations, provide your own analysis about some of the main issues and problems with using the brain-death criterion. (1-2 paragraphs)
Discuss the controversial cases of Marlise Munoz and Jahi McMath, both discussed in the relevant chapter of the textbook, especially highlighting what you see as the key facts learnings from these cases. You can get most of this information in the Deveterre textbook (provide citations), but you can also use outside sources, if needed, as long as you provide citations. (1-2 paragraphs).
GRADING CRITERIA:
F = Incomplete or No Submission; Does NOT pass
D = 1 point = Does NOT pass first 6 criteria; Does NOT pass
To Pass with a "C" Grade (2 points), you must meet the following 6 criteria:
Final is submitted on time as a Microsoft Word
500 word minimum (not including references)
Essay is NOT plagiarized (high SAFE ASSIGN similarity reports and other similarities to other papers will result in an automatic F in the class FOR ALL PAPERS AND STUDENTS INVOLVED)
Be responsive to the question prompt and demonstrates an understanding of the materials
Meet the minimum required standard of writing
Attempt to use proper APA citation and reference list formats; demonstrates that cited information is being credited properly
To pass with a "B" Grade (3 points), the student must meet the above six (6) criteria and the following three (3) criteria:
Have no fundamental misunderstandings of the materials
Have no major grammatical error, typos or spelling errors
Demonstrate a strong understanding of the materials, beyond a superficial summarization of information related to the prompt
To pass with an "A" grade (4 points), the student must pass the above nine (9) criteria (six from the "C" criteria + 3 from the "B" criteria) AND the following two (2) criteria:
Provide excellent analysis of the topic/prompt; clear/organized writing; and mastery of APA citation/reference format
No spelling errors or typos
BRAIN-DEATH CRITERION
Name:
Institution:
Course Code:Date:
Brain Death Criterion
In the early days, death was determined as the cessation of cardiopulmonary activity. In 1959, French neurophysiologists observed that some patients sustained some electrophysiologic activity in their brain even after their cardiopulmonary activity stopped. Since the electrophysiological activity meant that the brain was not dead even when the cardiopulmonary activity had stopped, there was need to investigate and redefine what constitutes death. The neurophysiologists defined the new phenomenon as ‘beyond coma or coma depass.’ Eventually, Harvard developed a new criterion of determining brain death by using electroencephalogram (EEG). If there was absence of electrical activity in the brain, the patient could be pronounced dead; brain death. The new definition was not comprehensive but was relatively better because it gave a new element to consider other than cardiopulmonary activity. The new definition was hotly debated because not all cessation of all brain activity meant that the patient was dead or was lack of brain activity could be termed as brain death.
Due to advances in life support systems in hospitals, most critical body functions can be sustained even when the patient is in irreversible coma. The earlier definition of death was based on the knowledge that only when the patient stops cardiopulmonary functions, he/she can be pronounced dead. However, advances in medicine have enabled the sustenance of cardiopulmonary functions whilst the brain developed necrosis. Thus, death cannot be pegged on the cessation of cardiopulmonary activity but the cessation of all brain activity including the stem. The new definition is better since cardiopulmonary activity can be maintained by machines and thus not a true reflection of whether the individual is truly dead or alive. Continuity of other physiological processes other than that of the brain cannot in themselves mean that the individual is alive.
The main problem of pegging definition of death on cessation of electrophysiologic activity of the brain has been hotly debated because some bodies have show activity even after brain death. Some doctors noticed that the brain reacted to incisions when they made incisions to harvest body organs and tissues from cadavers.
Secondly, to accurately define death legally has been elusive. Pegging brain death on detecting brain activity alone has not been formally recognized in some circles as the actual death of the individual. States have their own definitions of death. Their legal infrastructure can either define death as stopp...
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