This guide is intended to help answer some of the questions you may have when a loved one dies. Most people believe death occurs when a person's heartbeat and breathing stop. By law, the state of Missouri recognizes that death also occurs when the brain and brainstem stop working. If breathing and heartbeat are maintained by machines, a brain dead person will appear to be alive. But, if there is no brain activity, the person is dead.
Brain death is harder.
Certain things must happen before a person can be declared brain dead. In adults and children over the age of one year Heartbeat and breathing require ventilatory support. This means blood pressure, pulse and respiration are present only with artificial support. Absence of all brain and brainstem function. The patient does not cough or gag when a suction tube is placed deep into the breathing tube, The patient does not breathe when taken off the ventilator.