Resumen

NOVOA S, FERNANDO. Brain death and its meaning. Rev. chil. pediatr. [online]. 2007, vol.78, n.4, pp.355-362. ISSN 0370-4106.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0370-41062007000400002.

The diagnosis of brain death is considered in Occidental World as a new way of being dead. Nevertheless, in our country, this concept has not been completely accepted by the general population neither by health workers. In our experience, a significant percentage of the professionals working in pediatric services believe that a child in brain death is not dead. Considering this situation it seems very important that pediatric services should receive special training about the meaning of this condition. Those professionals that do not accept brain death, as the death of the individual should be allowed to stay away from any decision concerning that child. The Chilean Legislation is reviewed and an ethical analysis is also done

Palabras clave : brain death; ethics; encephalic brain; transplantation.