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Inventing a new death and making it believable
1a McGill University , Montreal , Canada.
Anthropology & Medicine
|February 13, 2016
Summary
The concept of brain death was developed to facilitate organ transplantation by legally defining brain-dead individuals as deceased, enabling organ retrieval. This medical and legal construct allows for transplantation while navigating the ambiguous state of brain-dead bodies.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Transplant Surgery
- Legal Medicine
Background:
- Solid organ transplantation requires a consistent supply of viable organs.
- The definition of death has evolved with medical technological advancements.
- The concept of brain death emerged to address the needs of transplantation protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the historical development and justification of the 'brain death' concept.
- To analyze the legal and medical discourse surrounding brain death.
- To understand the implications of brain death for organ transplantation.
Main Methods:
- Historical analysis of medical and legal texts.
- Discourse analysis of professional practices and justifications.
- Examination of international variations in brain death diagnosis.
Main Results:
- The concept of brain death was established to enable routine organ retrieval for transplantation.
- Discursive practices in medicine and law are employed to legitimize brain-dead individuals as deceased.
- Despite medical consensus, international diagnostic criteria for brain death vary.
- A Cartesian mind-body dualism is utilized to reconcile the 'dead' mind with the 'alive' body.
Conclusions:
- The legal construct of brain death is essential for the functioning of the organ transplant system.
- The ambiguity of brain death necessitates ongoing medical and legal discourse.
- Variations in diagnostic criteria highlight the complexities and ethical considerations of brain death determination.