Death Death: - Defined As Cessation of Life Ie Total Stoppage of Blood Circulation and A
Death Death: - Defined As Cessation of Life Ie Total Stoppage of Blood Circulation and A
Death Death: - Defined As Cessation of Life Ie Total Stoppage of Blood Circulation and A
put forward in early 1966 at CIBA symposium in London. These criteria were used
to diagnose brain
1. Complete bilateral mydriasis
2. Complete absence of reflexes; natural and to pain
3. Complete absence of spontaneous respiration five minutes after respirator
taken off.
4. Falling BP requiring increasing amounts of vasopressor drug. Flat EEG.
Based on these criteria the first heart transplant was performed in October 1967.
HARVARD CRITERIA OF BRAIN DEATH (1968)
1. Unreceptivity and unresponsivity.
2. No movements (observe for 1 hour).
3. Apnoea (3 minutes off ventilator).
4. No reflexes - fixed dilated pupils - No brainstem reflexes - No spinal reflexes
5. Flat EEG (of great confirmatory value) at 5 uv/mm
6. No change after 24 hours
MINNESOTA CRITERIA OF BRAIN DEATH
1. No spontaneous movement.
2. Apnoea (4 minutes off ventilator).
3. No brainstem reflexes: Dilated fixed pupils, corneal, Ciliospinal, Dolls, eye,
gag, caloric, tonic neck reflex.
4. Status unchanged after 12 hours.
5. Irreparable brain damage.
UNITED KINGDOM CRITERIA OF BRAIN DEATH (1976)
1. Conditions: Deep coma, drugs metabolic and endocrine causes, hypothermia
excluded. Apnoea. Irremediable structural brain damage.
2. Testes: Absent brain stem reflexes, fixed pupils, corneal, caloric test, gag,
apnoea test.
3. Other considerations: Repeat examination depends on injury. EEG not
necessary. Spinal reflexes irrelevant. The Faculties produced another
memorandum in 1979 stressing the point that identification of brain death meant
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disease or the like, which would bring about death - this is generally referred to
as death by natural causes.
Homicide: The taking of one human life by another human being by means of
pre-meditated murder. The term pre-meditated means to have purposely
planned and executed the murder of another human being in cold blood whilst
trying to elude capture by the authorities.
Accidental Death: As the term would suggest the death of an individual by
means other than natural death, murder or suicide. Accidental death can
sometimes be manslaughter - murder but committed out of an involuntary act of
violence towards another. Likewise accidental death can also be categorised as
death by misadventure. This means that the victim has died by accident either
whilst doing something they should not have been doing or by taking risks that
would put them in mortal danger. A lot of extreme sports participants have died
and their deaths have been classified as death by misadventure because of the
extreme nature of their pastimes.
Suicide: The deliberate taking of one's own life due to extreme emotional
distress often brought about by severe depression. Suicide is neither accidental
nor is it classified as death by misadventure simply because the individual has
set about on a course of action that would end with their own inevitable death.
Normally this would occur by means of drug overdose, the cutting of one's wrists
to induce uncontrollable bleeding, or indeed stepping out in front of a moving
vehicle.
Why Categorise Death?
These four reasons for death are often called upon as a means test for a
pathologist when he or she is required to determine how a person died. They will
look at the evidence both physical and trace to try and determine which category
best fits the manner in which the deceased passed away.
Of course if there are visible wounds such as a gunshot wound or a knife wound
then the most likely cause of death would be attributed to Homicide - or Murder.
It could be possible however that accidental death is the most likely explanation
as many people have died from firearms related wounds whilst cleaning or
maintaining them. For the most part the pathologist will concern themselves with
how the victim died and will use this as a means upon which to base their final
findings.
Throughout all of these types of death an autopsy will have to be performed in
order to provide concrete proof that the pathologist - and indeed the police
officers involved with investigating the death - is correct in their assumptions.