Media and Popular Culture and Controversies in Comatose Patients

Comatose patients may have irrevocably lost all
 brain function. This condition has been distinguished from
 other comatose states by the term brain death. Its assessment
 has been known as the determination of death by neurologic
 criteria. The clinical diagnosis of brain death implies that the
 person has died. When the clinical criteria of brain death are
 met, it allows organ donation or withdrawal of futile support.
 Without being unnecessarily hostile to the press, one can argue that the representation of comatose states in the media is concerning. Families confronted with this often unexpected
 loss of life understand this strictly defined neurological condition
 well. Unfortunately, the legal cases are surrounded by misinformation and reluctance to understand the implications
 of these comatose states. Nevertheless, many legal cases are
 settled in court without much attention. Exposure to the media may solicit physician opinions, and these cases may easily become a spectacle. Bioethical issues do surface under
 these circumstances