Determination of Donation

The manner in which death occurs determines if organ and/or tissue donation can take place.

In a healthy body, the brain is in charge of supplying oxygen-rich blood to organs so they can do their job. Brain death is when brain is damaged due to a severe head injury, stroke or trauma, or if the blood supply to the brain is stopped. Cardiopulmonary or cardiac death (DCD) is when breathing and heart beating stop.

To compare criteria for brain death, donation after cardiac death (DCD) and cardiac arrest, and see how each impacts organ and tissue donation, click here to download the chart now.