Diagnosis of brain death.

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. Disclosures INTRODUCTION — Death is an irreversible, biological event that consists of permanent cessation of the critical functions of the organism as a whole [1]. This concept allows for survival of tissues in isolation, but it requires the loss of integrated function of various organ systems. Death of the brain therefore qualifies as death, as the brain is essential for integrating critical functions of the body. The equivalence of brain death with death is largely, although not universally, accepted [2].