Ventilators, feeding tubes, and other medical technologies have made it much easier to sustain the lives of those with severe brain injuries. But has the law kept pace with medical advances? At what point is an individual legally declared dead? The types of severe brain injuries that raise this difficult question often fall somewhere along the spectrum of persistent vegetative state and brain death. Someone who is medically declared brain dead -- meaning there is zero brain activity -- is legally considered dead.
However, there are occasional efforts to keep brain dead individuals on life support, while those in a persistent vegetative state (often referred to as "chronic wakefulness without awareness") may be allowed to die naturally if they have requested so in a living will. And surgeons must act quickly in order to harvest useable tissues from registered organ donors, which adds to the urgency and stress of the decision for the patient's family and friends.
It's a complicated matter, but this article will help you understand the basic legal implications of the most severe brain injuries.
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