NUR2790 Professional Nursing III

Module 9 Discussion

Brain Death: Ethical Considerations

Your patient is a 23-year-old female with a history of headaches. This morning she was experiencing a really bad headache as her boyfriend was driving her to the university. He thought she was sleeping and by the time they got to the school, 45 minutes later, she was not waking up. She was diagnosed with a cerebral aneurysm and you are taking care of her in the Neurological ICU.

What testing do you expect to be performed to diagnose brain death?

What is the procedure when a patient is determined to be brain dead?

Who should approach the family about organ donation?

The family is approached about organ donation. The patient indicated on her driver’s license that she wanted to be an organ donor. Her mother refuses to consent for organ donation.

Do you think donation should happen anyway? Why or why not?

What will be the ethical consequences of your decision?

MORE INFO 

Brain Death: Ethical Considerations

Introduction

If you have been diagnosed with brain death, this can be a very difficult time for your family and friends. It’s also important to understand what is happening from both legal and ethical perspectives when someone dies without ever regaining consciousness. In this article, we will explore some of these issues in detail so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not to donate organs after your loved one has died.

It is indisputable that the patient was brain dead.

It is indisputable that the patient was brain dead. The patient was not in a coma, nor did he or she appear to be vegetative. In fact, it would be incorrect to characterize this as a persistent vegetative state (PVS).

The term PVS refers to patients who have sustained brain damage so severe that they cannot respond to external stimuli and whose condition has been diagnosed as irreversible and permanent. Patients with PVS are considered vegetative because they do not demonstrate any response when spoken to, even if they hear or understand what is being said; they do not move their eyes or limbs when touched; there are no signs of awareness or responsiveness beyond those related solely through sight or sound perception (such as crying out).

The patient’s family has been informed of the diagnosis of brain dead, and are all in agreement with removing the patient from life support.

The patient’s family has been informed of the diagnosis of brain dead, and are all in agreement with removing the patient from life support. The patient is not expected to ever breathe again on his own, but he will still be alive until then. The family should be aware that their loved one may never wake up and that they might want or need to make arrangements for hospice care if this happens before they can pass away naturally (such as by being moved into an assisted living facility).

The history/physical and all laboratory results were carefully reviewed before coming to a diagnosis, and no treatable conditions were found.

The patient is brain dead. There is no hope of recovery; the patient has no chance of survival, and there is no need for further diagnostic testing or treatment.

A family member or friend may be asked to confirm that the person is truly brain dead, but this can’t be done unless you’re sure that it’s true (e.g., if you have proof that someone else has checked). You should also make sure that all information about your loved one’s death has been communicated clearly and honestly with other family members before releasing any information about the diagnosis publicly or sharing it with others who weren’t present at the time of death (including doctors).

There is no legal reason to keep the patient on life support.

There is no legal reason to keep the patient on life support. The family has been informed of the diagnosis of brain death and are all in agreement with removing the patient from life support.

Donating the organs of the deceased is consistent with her wishes.

Organ donation is a noble act. It does not just save lives but also helps others by saving their lives, too. This is why organ donation should be encouraged and supported by everyone who cares about helping others live longer, healthier lives.

Only because you are brain dead does not mean you are near death therefore there is a huge difference between brain death and death.

Brain death is a diagnosis and not death. You can be kept alive on life support for many years, but you will never recover from the permanent damage done to your brain.

The AMA’s position on organ donation is clear: “The AMA opposes any legislation that would prohibit physicians from acting in accordance with their own professional judgment when patients have died or become brain-dead. In addition, AMA supports appropriate regulation of organ procurement organizations (OPOs) that collect organs from deceased donors when OPOs are legally required to do so as part of their contract with the donor’s family.”

Conclusion

If you have any questions about this topic please feel free to contact us.

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