Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 1997 Jan-Feb;27(1):29-37.

Is it time to abandon brain death?

  • PMID: 9017413
Review

Is it time to abandon brain death?

R D Truog. Hastings Cent Rep. 1997 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Despite its familiarity and widespread acceptance, the concept of "brain death" remains incoherent in theory and confused in practice. Moreover, the only purpose served by the concept is to facilitate the procurement of transplantable organs. By abandoning the concept of brain death and adopting different criteria for organ procurement, we may be able to increase both the supply of transplantable organs and clarity in our understanding of death.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • On brain death.
    Goldworth A. Goldworth A. Hastings Cent Rep. 1997 Sep-Oct;27(5):4; author reply 4-5. Hastings Cent Rep. 1997. PMID: 9383653 No abstract available.
  • On brain death.
    White RJ. White RJ. Hastings Cent Rep. 1997 Sep-Oct;27(5):4; author reply 4-5. Hastings Cent Rep. 1997. PMID: 9383654 No abstract available.

LinkOut - more resources