# Any cases of brain dead person brought back to live? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 22, 2017, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201 "2017-05-22T05:49:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/21 "2017-05-23T20:33:48Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > **Under the normal legal system, when the heart and lungs stop working the person is legally dead.** Again, nothing you’ve quoted supports your assertion. You’ve posted a wiki article, you haven’t defined your terms, and you’re not listening to feedback. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/22 "2017-05-23T20:40:26Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > I’m talking about cardiac arrest when heart stops beating. Cardiac arrest from hypothermia, suffocation, coronary artery disease, vascular artery disease, cardiomyopathy, blow to the chest, electrocution, Brugada syndrome, Marfan syndrome, Acute Myocarditis, or others? ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/23 "2017-05-23T20:43:01Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Cardiac arrest from hypothermia, suffocation, coronary artery disease, vascular artery disease, cardiomyopathy, blow to the chest, electrocution, Brugada syndrome, Marfan syndrome, Acute Myocarditis, or others? So many ways to die… ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/24 "2017-05-23T20:51:08Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Again, nothing you’ve quoted supports your assertion. You’ve posted a wiki article, you haven’t defined your terms, and you’re not listening to feedback. \*\* Quote Under the normal legal system, when the heart and lungs stop working the person is legally dead. Wrong Wrong base on old history before CPR and defibrillator death was base on cessation of heartbeat (cardiac arrest) and of breathing. Historically, attempts to define the exact moment of a human’s death have been subjective, or imprecise. Death was once defined as the cessation of heartbeat (cardiac arrest) and of breathing, but the development of CPR and prompt defibrillation have rendered that definition inadequate because breathing and heartbeat can sometimes be restarted. \*\* Quote Ask some on at your house or work to read the two and explain it to you. As you are unable to do so on your own. If you could go back in your time machine and say that to the doctors and scientist. Tell me how it play out in that time line. Historically, attempts to define the exact moment of a human’s death have been subjective, Yes word subjective Under Historically yes word Historically Death was once defined as the cessation of heartbeat (cardiac arrest) and of breathing, but the development of heartbeat (cardiac arrest) and cessation of breathing means death. Telemark where is your internet source here saying people studying history are wrong? That (cardiac arrest) and cessation of breathing does NOT means death \*\*Does not mean death IN THAT TIME LINE. \*\* Under the normal legal system, when the heart and lungs stop working the person is legally dead. But now they say because of CPR and defibrillator it no longer means the person is legally dead!!! But now the legal system now for legally dead means brain dead. ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/25 "2017-05-23T20:58:04Z")
In interest of this article we talking about is to jump start the heart or brain and the person said no there is no such technology today to do that. We cannot restart the heart or brain. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/26 "2017-05-23T21:48:13Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > Ask some on at your house or work to read the two and explain it to you. As you are unable to do so on your own. Here is a citation that is perhaps a bit more useful. > **[Legally Dead Law and Legal Definition | USLegal, Inc.](https://definitions.uslegal.com/l/legally-dead/)** > > Legally dead traditionally has meant a human being is dead when her heart and lungs have irreversibly ceased to function. In some cases, permanent loss of consciousness may precede cardiopulmonary > [@](#): > > Legally dead traditionally has meant a human being is dead when her heart and lungs have irreversibly ceased to function. In some cases, permanent loss of consciousness may precede cardiopulmonary failure. Today however, with modern medical technology, a patient may lose consciousness a decade or more before his heart and lungs fail. > > All fifty states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA). The UDDA also recognizes whole-brain death – irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain – as a legal standard of death. A person can be legally dead even if her cardiopulmonary system continues to function. If a patient’s entire brain is nonfunctioning, so that breathing and heartbeat are maintained only by artificial means, that patient meets the whole-brain standard of death. Note the use of the terms \*\*irreversibly \*\*and **irreversible** in both paragraphs, a key difference in the definition compared to what you posted. It’s never been enough for the brain and/or heart to stop working to declare someone dead. We can bring people back to full consciousness from comas, we can restart hearts after they stop. We’re much better at it now, but it’s always been possible to some degree; we’ve changed the conditions of “irreversible” via CPR and defibrillators and many other advanced techniques, but the basic framework still holds. When a polio victim was put in an iron lung because their lungs stopped working, were they declared legally dead? ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/27 "2017-05-23T23:05:40Z")
“_I know you. I know you. I knew I knew you. I knew I knew you, but you ain’t you. You can’t be you, we put you through the window. There ain’t no comin’ back. This is the really real world, there ain’t no comin’ back. We killed you dead, there ain’t no comin’ back! There ain’t no comin’ back! There ain’t no comin’ back!_” - The Crow I think that kind of sums it up. If your brain is **dead** , there ain’t no coming back. Question is, what does one consider **dead**? If cellular activity ceases in the brain, i am fairly confident one is dead and shall not be returning ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/28 "2017-05-24T00:39:31Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Here is a citation that is perhaps a bit more useful. > > [https://definitions.uslegal.com/l/legally-dead/](https://definitions.uslegal.com/l/legally-dead/) > > ote the use of the terms \*\*irreversibly \*\*and **irreversible** in both paragraphs, a key difference in the definition compared to what you posted. It’s never been enough for the brain and/or heart to stop working to declare someone dead. Telemark what do you mean by brain and or heart to stop working? I always thought when person say heart or lung stop working they mean cardiac arrest and respiratory arrest a cessation of breathing. And when people mean brain dead mean brain cells start to die or lack of electrical activity. > [@](#): > > We can bring people back to full consciousness from comas, we can restart hearts after they stop. I thought markn+ said > [@](#): > > I just want to point out, since the above quote seems to suggest this, that a **defibrillator does not restart a stopped heart,** despite **numerous depictions of such an event in movies and TV shows**. The purpose of a defibrillator is to STOP a heart which is in fibrillation, not to start it if it is not beating. > [@](#): > > We’re much better at it now, but it’s always been possible to some degree; we’ve changed the conditions of “irreversible” via CPR and defibrillators and many other advanced techniques, but the basic framework still holds. But how do you get the heart to start beating again and the lungs to work again? > [@](#): > > When a polio victim was put in an iron lung because their lungs stopped working, were they declared legally dead? They must have had machine breathing for them. > [@](#): > > Legally dead traditionally has meant a human being is dead when her heart and lungs have irreversibly ceased to function. That is what I said here. Quote Under the normal legal system, when the heart and lungs stop working the person is legally dead. But now we have machines that can take over the function of the heart and lungs and the person no longer dies. So the legal definition is different now days than in the old days. Also there been cases where people frozen in lake and brought back to life. We have modern science and technology changing the definition of being dead. Like poster above said doctors thought that flat line EEG means you are brain dead but there still activity in the regions of the brain. And poster saying PET scans may not show every thing. So the definition of brain dead is changing. > [@](#): > > Today however, with modern medical technology, a patient may lose consciousness a decade or more before his heart and lungs fail. Not sure what this means you can get hit over head with baseball bat and lose consciousness but your heart and lungs are still working. > [@](#): > > All fifty states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA). The UDDA also recognizes whole-brain death – irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain – as a legal standard of death. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/29 "2017-05-24T01:37:59Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > But how do you get the heart to start beating again and the lungs to work again? IANAD but I believe they can directly shock a stopped heart to restart it. This is not what a defibrillator does, what you see often see on TV. It’s a separate, more invasive process that they do during a heart transplant, for example. Once the heart is pumping oxygenated blood the lungs will typically start working on their own, unless there is additional damage there. I’ve read the rest of your post several times and still don’t really get the point you’re trying to make. Perhaps you can restate it without quoting anything, since that tends to confuse things. There is a pretty clear definition of “Legally Dead” since the UDDA has been universally adopted in the US. This definition has changed over time, now focusing on brain function versus the previous definition that focused on irreversibly stopped heart. Now, granted that the definition has changed, so what? How is that related to your original question about being revived from being brain dead? ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/30 "2017-05-24T02:11:37Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > Any cases of brain dead person brought back to live? > > Has there been any case where some one brain dead was brought back to live? … No political jabs allowed in this forum, right? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/31 "2017-06-04T19:41:38Z")
There is video on youtube showing person in ice being brought back to life. It is some thing that is really new because people thought that if you where in ice that the brain cells will start to die and you would get ice crystals. That is why cryogenics is science fiction or was science is fiction . But they brought the person back to life that was in ice. So how they bring the person back to life or restart the electrical activity of the heart and brain after being in ice. It seems now days being brain dead does not mean the person is dead!! Because there still could be some electrical activity in the brain but does not show up on the pet scan. Or they found a way to restart the electrical activity of the heart and brain. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/32 "2017-06-04T22:46:17Z")
I do not know what video you are referring to. People can be _cold_ and resuscitated. In fact with drowning and hypothermia victims, there is an adage that" You aren’t dead until you are warm and dead". Seems to be remarkably true with children. But that is cold, not frozen. There is also an intervention known as [therapeutic hypothermia](http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/812407-overview). Once again, cold not frozen. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/33 "2017-06-05T00:33:10Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > There is video on youtube showing person in ice being brought back to life. You don’t link to this video … But there isalso video on Youtube of a giant shark leaping from the water to attack a helicopter. And many more things. It’s called _fiction_. If this actually happened, we wouldn’t hear about it from some Youtube video. It would be a major, peer-reviewed paper in a medical journal. And then all the news media broadcasting superficial & inaccurate headline stories about this. Don’t believe everything you see online. Even if there’s a Youtube video ‘showing’ it. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/34 "2017-06-05T09:44:03Z")
Many are cold but few are frozen. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/35 "2017-06-05T22:05:33Z")
🙂 Nice. ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/36 "2017-06-13T21:56:13Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > I do not know what video you are referring to. People can be _cold_ and resuscitated. > In fact with drowning and hypothermia victims, there is an adage that" You aren’t dead until you are warm and dead". Seems to be remarkably true with children. But that is cold, not frozen. > > There is also an intervention known as [therapeutic hypothermia](http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/812407-overview). Once again, cold not frozen. These people that where in frozen lake did they have heart beat or any brain activity? By resuscitated you mean getting their heart beating again and lungs working again? I’m not sure if modern medicine is that advance to get the persons heart beating again and lungs working again. If that what you where saying. If you found some one like this and called EMT what can they do to get the person heart beating again and lungs working again? If you are in the hospital would they have different way to get your heart beating again and lungs working again than say EMT. Is modern medicine advance enough to get the person heart beating again and lungs working again? ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/37 "2017-06-13T23:52:05Z")
Once again, YOU are the one who has seen this alleged video. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/38 "2017-06-14T00:18:10Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > Is modern medicine advance enough to get the person heart beating again and lungs working again? Perhaps you should read this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/39 "2017-06-14T02:40:34Z")
“Epinephrine’s a _helluva_ drug…” ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201/40 "2017-06-16T01:13:21Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > Once again, YOU are the one who has seen this alleged video. Well if you are too lazy to explain difference to me of being frozen in lake being flat line no heart beat or brain electrical activity. Than being frozen in lake with small heart beat or brain electrical activity. Fine go and make my day with this pseudoscience crap. Next time some one goes into cardiac arrest and you call 911 post here what the medics do on such person!!! Yes to this message board as poster above are incapable of knowledge what happens when person heart beat stop beating or brain electrical activity in brain stop. And well such members here well think when you go into cardiac arrest the heart stop beating or respiratory arrest the lung mechanics stop!! You can well still keep person alive if there is brain activity!!:eek::eek::):eek: But what drugs or tools do they have to resuscitate to get the heart beating again or lung mechanics working again. That what they cannot answer. And well all members gone hiding under the bed covers when I ask such question many post above!!! I will assume it pseudoscience talk. As they cannot name one drug or tool to get the person heart beating again or lung working again or both. > [@Telemark](#): > > Perhaps you should read this thread. Thanks for illustrate my inability to form thought in my head to ask a inquiry!!!:D:D:D As the ability of such a person to read or write is inconsequential when posting when sender cannot ask in response to comment posted in such manner to OP. > [@](#): > > “Epinephrine’s a helluva drug…” Thanks Ranchoth that is what I was asking for many post above ( but I got better repose asking my dog ) how to start person heart when heart stops beating as people thought the defibrillator did that But do EMT have drug with them when they go to such calls when person heart stop beating? Or only ER doctor can give that drug in hospital. And do EMT have breathing ventilator with them in the truck when person lung stop working. And difference in hospital vs out of the hospital and when they resuscitate vs not resuscitate and calling person dead. And one member said you may have brain electrical activity but may not show up on PET scan. So this changes the dynamics of it even more if person still alive and if we resuscitate or not . Or rule now is we don’t care if heart or lungs are working as long as there brain electrical activity if there no brain electrical activity we don’t resuscitate and call the person dead. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-cases-of-brain-dead-person-brought-back-to-live/787201.md?page=3)