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brain death
One of two kinds of death recognized by law, the first and most common being when the pulse stops. Brain death occurs when the brain completely stops working. If a person is declared brain dead, the heart may continue to beat, but the person cannot breathe without machines, feel pain, or have any thoughts or feelings. When this happens, all life support will be turned off. Life support that is turned off is not the same as life support that is withdrawn. Withdrawn support means a patient is still alive but has chosen to die comfortably over time, whereas turned off support means the patient has already died and receiving support is useless.
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Last modified at 9/8/2009 8:57 AM by Committee
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