Abstract
Parents need certainty that, when their child is declared dead, there has not been any mistake. As discussed within this chapter, the fear of death being declared prematurely is inherent to human nature. However, the complexities of modern medicine have made the concept of death and when it occurs even more complex. The chapter reviews the history leading to the development of the Uniformed Declaration of Death Act, and its recognition that death may be declared following either loss of neurologic function or loss of circulatory and respiratory functions. While the construct of brain death addressed a growing critical care problem of the permanently and severely brain injured patient on technological support, it also introduced many other ethical questions about what it means to be dead. These ethical concerns will be reviewed. It is paramount that physicians understand the medical standards used to define death, but also appreciate the questions and concerns parents may raise about this difficult topic.
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Miller-Smith, L., Finnsdóttir Wagner, Á., Lantos, J.D. (2019). The Difficulty with Determining Whether Someone is Dead. In: Bioethics in the Pediatric ICU: Ethical Dilemmas Encountered in the Care of Critically Ill Children. International Library of Ethics, Law, and the New Medicine, vol 77. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00943-4_5
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