However, a new study published to
An unexpected discovery made by an international team, examining the results of an EEG on an elderly patient, who died suddenly of a heart attack while the test was in progress. What happens in our brain when we make the transition from life to death?
Although death has historically been medically defined as the moment when the heart irreversibly stops beating, recent studies have suggested brain activity in many animals and humans can continue for seconds to hours.
“Our data shows that a dying brain can respond to sound, even in an unconscious state, up to the last hours of life.”
Brain Removal For Brains Undergoing A Postmortem
To that end, a brain being examined in a postmortem is accessed through an incision in the back of the skull, which is not visible from the front. It's first examined inside the skull, and then gently removed for further tests.
Throughout the autopsy, the pathologist records everything on a body diagram and in recorded verbal notes. If a complete internal examination is called for, the pathologist removes and dissects the chest, abdominal and pelvic organs, and (if necessary) the brain.
A complete autopsy requires the removal of the skull using a skull saw, and subsequent removal of the brain.
This difficult time may be complicated by a phenomenon known as the surge before death, or terminal lucidity, which can happen days, hours, or even minutes before a person's passing. Often occurring abruptly, this period of increased energy and alertness may give families false hope that their loved ones will recover.
Visions and Hallucinations
Visual or auditory hallucinations are often part of the dying experience. The appearance of family members or loved ones who have died is common. These visions are considered normal. The dying may turn their focus to “another world” and talk to people or see things that others do not see.
Purge fluid is foul smelling, red-brown fluid that may exude from the oral and nasal passages as decomposition progresses, as depicted in the image below.
In time, the heart stops and they stop breathing. Within a few minutes, their brain stops functioning entirely and their skin starts to cool. At this point, they have died.
Hearing is widely thought to be the last sense to go in the dying process. Now UBC researchers have evidence that some people may still be able to hear while in an unresponsive state at the end of their life.
Agonal breathing or agonal gasps are the last reflexes of the dying brain. They are generally viewed as a sign of death, and can happen after the heart has stopped beating.
8. The body as a whole may be dead, but certain parts within are still alive. The brain is the first organ to begin to break down, and other organs follow suit.
Since body heat production ceases soon after death but loss of heat continues, the body cools. After death, as during life, the human body loses heat by radiation, convection and evaporation. The fall in body temperature after death is mainly the result of radiation and convection.
"I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me." "I wish I hadn't worked so hard." "I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings." "I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends."
Periods of unconsciousness
As death approaches, you may drift from sleep into unconsciousness, much like being in a coma or dream state. You may wake up later, unaware that you were unconscious. Toward the end, you'll remain in this unconscious state of extended rest.
Hospice has a program that says that no one should have to die alone, and yet this hospice nurse is telling me to take a break? Some patients want to die when no one else is there. Hospice professionals know that companionship while dying is a personal preference.
A conscious dying person can know if they are on the verge of dying. Some feel immense pain for hours before dying, while others die in seconds. This awareness of approaching death is most pronounced in people with terminal conditions such as cancer.
The term agony, deriving from the Greek ἀγωνία that means “fight”, defines the last moments of the living organism's existence before the encounter with death, and its phenomenology is still to be explored.
Often before death, people will lapse into an unconscious or coma-like state and become completely unresponsive. This is a very deep state of unconsciousness in which a person cannot be aroused, will not open their eyes, or will be unable to communicate or respond to touch.
More than with many other organs, it is important to remove the eye rapidly at autopsy (or surgery), and to fix it promptly. The adnexa must therefore be separated rapidly from the globe in order to permit adequate penetration of fixative.
By Law and according to standard medical practice, removed organs and tissue must be replaced after the post mortem. By Law a doctor must treat the body with respect and recompose it as best s/he can, preventing unnecessary mutilations or dissections.
Cerebral angiography: Four-vessel angiography is the gold standard for tests evaluating cerebral blood flow. It can confirm brain death when it shows cessation of blood flow to the brain. Limitations include the invasiveness of the test and transferring the patient to the radiology suite.
Occupational Risk of Secondary Traumatic Stress Mortuary workers may be exposed to trauma directly through body handling and preparation; however, they may also face additional work stressors in their dealings with the bereaved.