[Brain death--a certain sign of death].

Abstract

Brain death means a complete and irreversible loss of all brain activity during intensive care with mechanical ventilation. On autopsy is seen an ischemic infarct of the whole brain following the stopped blood flow in the intracranial cavity after the elevation of the pressure. With brain death a human being loses two characteristics of its earthly life, the physical base needed for his spirit and his soul in this world, and the integration, the unity as the independent and self-contained organism.