摘要：COMATOSE PATIENTS MAY HAVE IRREVOCABLY LOST ALL BRAIN FUNCTION. THIS CONDITION HASBEEN DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHER COMATOSE STATES BY THE TERM BRAIN DEATH. ITSASSESSMENT HAS BEEN KNOWN AS THE DETERMINATION OF DEATH BY NEUROLOGIC CRITERIA.THE CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS OF BRAIN DEATH IMPLIES THAT THE PERSON HAS DIED. WHEN THECLINICAL CRITERIA OF BRAIN DEATH ARE MET, IT ALLOWS ORGAN DONATION OR WITHDRAWALOF FUTILE SUPPORT. WITHOUT BEING UNNECESSARILY HOSTILE TO THE PRESS, ONE CAN ARGUETHAT THE REPRESENTATION OF COMATOSE STATES IN THE MEDIA IS CONCERNING.FAMILIES CONFRONTED WITH THIS OFTEN UNEXPECTED LOSS OF LIFE UNDERSTAND THISSTRICTLY DEFINED NEUROLOGIC CONDITION WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, THE LEGAL CASES ARESURROUNDED BY MISINFORMATION AND RELUCTANCE TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS OFTHESE COMATOSE STATES. NEVERTHELESS, MANY LEGAL CASES ARE SETTLED IN COURTWITHOUT MUCH ATTENTION. EXPOSURE TO THE MEDIA MAY SOLICIT PHYSICIAN OPINIONS, ANDTHESE CASES MAY EASILY BECOME A SPECTACLE. BIOETHICAL ISSUES DO SURFACE UNDERTHESE CIRCUMSTANCES.
关键词：BRAIN DEATH;CONTROVERSIES;MEDIA AND POPULAR CULTURE
