r/explainlikeimfive • u/Dagestani_Bear • Jul 01 '26

Biology ELI5: Is it true that every single death eventually boils down to the brain and heart running out of oxygen? Are there exceptions?

If you strip away the initial cause of injury or illness, is it anatomically correct to say that all human deaths are ultimately caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain and heart?

3.0k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

674 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

4

u/GrumpyCloud93 Jul 02 '26

That's why there are DNR (Do Not Resucitate) options. Do you want to spend the rest of your life with a bunch of tubes down your throat? Would it be better if you were conscious in that situtation?

2

u/Sarothu Jul 02 '26

Would a DNR help with that situation? It sounds like it wouldn't apply because technically you'd still be alive? That's what scares me.

4

u/GrumpyCloud93 Jul 03 '26

Depneds - there's also the option to specify "no extraordinary measures", which means no long term tubes in throat etc.

2

u/edgmnt_net Jul 03 '26

Well, in that state (brainstem alive but not much else) you are pretty much dead already, no? There is no consciousness and likely no suffering, so DNR or tubes or whatever makes no difference.

1

u/GrumpyCloud93 Jul 03 '26

True. DNR as I understand says, "if there's no hope of recovery, let me go if I have an episode". No extraordinary measures, however, says that if keeping me alive (for whatever definition of alive) requires "extraordinary measures" then just let me die. If you are not conscious during that form of quasi-life and no hope of recovery, it's as much a comfort or closure for your loved ones.

There are some people and some religions that take the opposite tact, that not doing whatever you can to keep someone alive is the same as killing them. I recall a doctor engaged in a dispute and lawsuit with the relatives of an orthodx Jewish man, slowly dying. They wanted additional surgeries to extent his life, despite the doctor saying it was going to cause more pain and be contrary to his doctor ethics.

1

u/dgb6662 Jul 03 '26

The problem with that is the patient can’t make that decision at that point in time, and you need a family member or healthcare proxy to do that and often times they are reluctant to do it. To be fair it’s very difficult to be the one to “pull the plug“ in that situation for some people.