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VOLUME 23 , ISSUE 8 ( August, 2019 ) > List of Articles

COMMENTARY

Redefining Death: Urgent Need to Evolve toward a Homogeneous Definition of Death in India

Keywords : Brainstem death, Circulatory-respiratory criteria for death, Defining death, Ethical issues, Legal issues

Citation Information : Redefining Death: Urgent Need to Evolve toward a Homogeneous Definition of Death in India. Indian J Crit Care Med 2019; 23 (8):368-370.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10071-23220

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 01-04-2019

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2019; The Author(s).


Abstract

The interdependent circulatory-respiratory criteria and brainstem criteria are used to define death. Continuing life-support in brainstem dead patients is a legal conundrum for the health-care professionals and an ethical worry for the society at large. There is an urgent need to revisit this subject to evolve a more uniform definition of death irrespective of the circumstances. A compelling take-home message from this discussion is to spread awareness about brainstem death amongst healthcare professionals


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