(Q1) What is brain death? :

(A1) When talking of death, it must be realized that death occurs not only when heart stops beating (heart dead) but also when the brain is dead. This happens when part of the brain called "brain stem" is dead.

(Q2) What difference does it make whether the patient is heart dead or brain dead? :

(A2)When heart stops beating, all parts of the body cease to get blood supply and they lose function within few minutes. These people cannot be organ donors. When a person dies due to brain death, if he/she can be supported on ventilator (breathing machine) and some medications that can maintain blood pressure (though these cannot work for long), the heart can continue to beat for few hours or days and all the organs will get blood supply and oxygen till the heart stops. The organs can be donated during this period. It must thus be clear that only those brain dead patients who are in the intensive care unit of a well equipped hospital can be organ donors. If brain death occurs at home, the heart will stop beating very soon and these patients cannot be organ donors. They can however donate eyes for up to 6 hours after death.

(Q3) What are the chief causes of brain death and how is it diagnosed? :

(A3) The chief causes of brain death are head injury (e.g. accidents) and intracranial (brain) hemorrhage. The diagnosis is mainly based on clinical and neurological examination. Four physicians including primary physician, an independent physician who is not a part of the treating team, a neurologist from the panel of neurologists recognized by authorization committee and the medical superintendent of the concerned hospital have to certify brain death.

(Q4) Can there be an error in making diagnosis of brain death? :

(A4) No. Diagnosis of brain death is made only after 4 physicians have independently examined the patient. All the tests required to make diagnosis of brain death have to be repeated 6 hours after the initial tests. Only then a declaration of death is done.

(Q5) What Are the Practical Implications of Brain Death? :

(A5)Supporting a brain dead i.e. a dead person on life support system until heart stops would mean waste of manpower, money and an ICU bed which could save the life of a critically ill salvageable patient. During this period, if the family wishes, or if the person had expressed a desire during life, his or her organs and tissues could be removed to enhance and or sustain life of many who need them. This is called deceased donor (cadaver) organ donation.

(Q6) Which are the organs or tissues, which can be transplanted? :

(A6)The tissues and organs that can be transplanted include corneas (eyes), middle ear, lungs, heart and heart valves, liver, kidneys, pancreas, small intestine, skin, tendons, bone and bone marrow. Thus one dead person can be the hope of survival for many.

(Q7) Is Deceased (Cadaver) donor tissue & organ transplant legal in our country? :

(A7)Yes, the Transplantation of Human Organs Act (TOHO or HOTA) passed in July 1994 (see Chapter 6 on TOHO act) has made such transplants legal in our country.

(Q8) Is there any age limit to be a donor? :

(A8)Anyone of any age can be a donor. A transplant team will determine the medical suitability of donated organs after the donor's death. Organs and tissues that can't be used for transplants, due to advanced age or disease, can often be used to help scientists find cures for serious illnesses.

(Q9) Is there any financial cost to the donor? :

(A9)Donor families are never charged for the donation and will not receive any payment.

(Q10) Do religions support the act of organ and tissue donation? :

(A10)All religions support organ and tissue donation as a final, charitable act of giving.

(Q11) Can a person change a decision later after signing an organ donor card? :

(A11)Yes. Simply tear up the donor card.

(Q12) Who receives donated organs? :

(A12)Deciding which person on the waiting list will receive organs/tissues from a particular donor depends on factors such as the tissue type, blood type and body size of both the donor and recipient. The degree of illness of the potential recipient is also considered.

(Q13) Will recipients know the donor's identity? :

(A13)No. However, correspondence with the donor's family is possible through the social worker who arranged the transplant. Usually, all personal information regarding both parties and circumstances surrounding the time and place of the donor's death are omitted from the correspondence before it is passed on to the other party. If both parties wish, a meeting can be arranged by the social worker.