anencephaly

In the absence of brain temperature monitoring, this population appears to be afebrile and would not receive appropriate therapy.

The cardinal features of brain death are apnea, profound coma and unresponsiveness, and absence of brain stem reflexes.

Surgical intervention is contraindicated in patients with an absence of brain stem reflexes, significant vital brain destruction, uncontrolled intracranial pressure, liver failure, and no or poor flow on CT angiography.

The BIS monitor then translates this information into a single number from 100 (indicating an awake patient) to zero (indicating the absence of brain electrical activity) that objectively represents each patient's level of consciousness.

Under the law, brain death can only be established on the basis of two tests that fulfill five legal criteria -- absence of brain activity, state of deep coma, absence of pupil dilation, loss of seven brain stem reflexes, and cessation of natural breathing.

The objection supposes a dull and unsympathetic citizenry; in fact, the distinctions and argument upon which this third position relies require only a basic understanding of what the absence of brain must mean.

BIS monitoring uses a sensor placed on the forehead to capture EEG signals, which are translated into a single number ranging from 100 (for wide awake) to zero (indicating the absence of brain electrical activity).