Brain Death and Revival: What Happens When the Heart Stops Beating?

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In summary: But when you give them oxygenated glucose (or any other nutrient), within minutes the cells will start metabolizing the glucose and releasing oxygen, and the cells will start to look healthy again.
  • #1
MathJakob
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From the moment a persons heart stops beating, stop functioning, how long does it take until the brain starts to shut down and how long until it's completely non functional and you're dead beyond the point of revival?

It's probably hard to conduct such an experiement but have there ever been any tests done that compares a persons brain activity who is sleeping to that of someone who's heart has just stopped beating and if they're not revived they'll die?

One last question for anyone who's a doctor or surgeon, when you've revived someone, what do they tell you later afterwards, once they've recovered. Is there anything that's patients tend to recall happening?

I assume it would just be like being knockout?
 
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  • #2
Most of your queries are easily found through googling...

http://www.ehow.com/facts_6955530_long-human-brain-go-oxygen_.html

Neurons start to die after about 5-6 min. after oxygen denial, which is what would happen if your heart stopped and the blood could no longer carry O2 to your brain.

One last question for anyone who's a doctor or surgeon, when you've revived someone, what do they tell you later afterwards, once they've recovered. Is there anything that's patients tend to recall happening?

I'm not a doctor, but I've heard that some have said something along the lines of "What the %#@& happened!?" Some tend to recall a bright light at the end of a tunnel...However, that conversation is off limits at PF so you're going to have to google that yourself off-site.

As far as your second question...

It's probably hard to conduct such an experiement but have there ever been any tests done that compares a persons brain activity who is sleeping to that of someone who's heart has just stopped beating and if they're not revived they'll die?

I don't think so. I'm sure the ethics committee would think twice before authorizing a study like that. However, if they do, I'd be happy to participate with you if I'm the one doing the sleeping:smile:

Since that probably won't happen, I can tell you that the sleeping brain goes through very specific sleep cycles that are regulated through brainstem biorhythms. Someone's who's just had a heart attack has a brain that is in a trauma state, and the brain rhythms would look nothing like that of a sleep state. I'm pretty sure you're not going to find that answer through googling it, so there you have it.
 
  • #3
MathJakob said:
From the moment a persons heart stops beating, stop functioning, how long does it take until the brain starts to shut down and how long until it's completely non functional and you're dead beyond the point of revival?

It's probably hard to conduct such an experiement but have there ever been any tests done that compares a persons brain activity who is sleeping to that of someone who's heart has just stopped beating and if they're not revived they'll die?

One last question for anyone who's a doctor or surgeon, when you've revived someone, what do they tell you later afterwards, once they've recovered. Is there anything that's patients tend to recall happening?

I assume it would just be like being knockout?

Once your heart stops (or becomes ineffective at pumping blood, as in ventricular fibrillation), you will pass out within a couple seconds. In CPR classes, one statistic that we use is that for every minute that passes before you start CPR compressions, there is about a 10% increase in mortality rate.
 
  • #4
MathJakob said:
One last question for anyone who's a doctor or surgeon, when you've revived someone, what do they tell you later afterwards, once they've recovered. Is there anything that's patients tend to recall happening?

Nothing so far in my experience, but I've only been on the chest compression train about 20 times for a code.
 
  • #5
What blows my mind is the difference between in vivo and in vitro low-oxygen responses. I mean, if I plate a dish of neuron and exposed them to no-oxygen no-glucose (oxygen glucose deprivation, OGD) conditions, it can take a long, long time before they start to die. I mean, we often deprive them of oxygen for hours just to get a 'stress' signal, let alone a 'death' signal.
 

What happens when the heart stops beating?

When the heart stops beating, it is called cardiac arrest. This means that the heart has stopped pumping blood to the body, causing the brain and other organs to lose oxygen and eventually stop functioning.

Can someone survive when their heart stops beating?

It is possible for someone to survive when their heart stops beating, but it is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. CPR and defibrillation can help restart the heart, but the chances of survival decrease the longer the heart remains stopped.

What causes the heart to stop beating?

The most common cause of cardiac arrest is a heart attack, where a blockage in the coronary arteries cuts off blood flow to the heart. Other factors that can cause the heart to stop beating include heart rhythm disorders, drug overdose, and severe trauma to the chest.

How long can the heart go without beating?

The heart can only go a few minutes without beating before irreversible damage to the brain and other organs occurs. After about 4-6 minutes without oxygen, brain cells start to die, and after 10 minutes, there is little chance of survival.

What should be done if someone's heart stops beating?

If someone's heart stops beating, it is important to call 911 immediately and begin CPR. If an automated external defibrillator (AED) is available, use it to shock the heart and try to restart it. Emergency medical professionals will also provide advanced life support measures to try and restart the heart.

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