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"As of Wednesday night, the teen, whom police did not identify, was brain-dead and in extremely critical condition at Temple University Hospital."

So is it possible to be brain-dead and not in extremely critical condition?

jmra wrote:So is it possible to be brain-dead and not in extremely critical condition?

Yep, I work with several people that are in that state.

jmra wrote:So is it possible to be brain-dead and not in extremely critical condition?

Look at any government bureaucracy.

Keith B wrote:

jmra wrote:So is it possible to be brain-dead and not in extremely critical condition?

Yep, I work with several people that are in that state.

You beat me to it!

My original thought about this post is that the one would already have to be "brain dead" to point a pistol at his own head and pull the trigger. I did not post this because I did not want to seem cruel and insensitive.

WildBill wrote:My original thought about this post is that the one would already have to be "brain dead" to point a pistol at his own head and pull the trigger. I did not post this because I did not want to seem cruel and insensitive.

It's okay. Some of my best friends and relatives are cruel and insensitive.

jmra wrote:"As of Wednesday night, the teen, whom police did not identify, was brain-dead and in extremely critical condition at Temple University Hospital."

So is it possible to be brain-dead and not in extremely critical condition?

Yes, it is, in a matter of speaking. If "extremely critical condition" infers that there is a chance of pulling through in a relatively stable condition, then this person most likely is past that point. Now, it's usually a matter of a ventilator keeping the body oxygenated, with the able assistance of the heart, that resoundingly durable muscle that inherently wants to keep beating at a normal 70-90 beats per minute, and keeping the body's blood vessels contracted enough through vasopressors to maintain a viable blood pressure. This condition (the brain dead but heart still beating) is actually physiologically pretty stable, and could be maintained for a while, since a young person like this is a prime candidate for harvesting of organs, especially the heart (if it never stopped during the trauma), lungs, liver, etc. etc.

The docs usually give a patient all the chances in the world, but when there's no blood being circulated through the brain (not sure if they use a PET scanner, CAT scanner, or MRI to show that, but there is a scan that'll show that), with no reflexes of any kind being evidenced, over a period of time, it's time to call the organ procurement coordinator.