how do people die instantly?

Question

You typically see people deteriorating and stop breathing or fall into a state of unconsciousness – this seems steady. But when you read of freak accidents like being decapitated internally (the spinal cord detaching from the head), how do you just die instantly? If the brain can survive 6 minutes without oxygen until pronounced brain dead…how does someone just die? Even if your heart stops beating there and then, how do you just drop dead?

Edit: thanks!

In: 89

Answer 1

What is death? From a medical perspective, we talk about _clinical death_ versus _biological death_.

_Clinicial death_ is when the heart stops beating. Without circulation of the blood, which brings oxygen and sugar (needed to create energy to function) to the brain and other tissues, and removes waste products, organs shut down. The brain is particularly sensitive to this, and will cease functioning normally almost immediately. Without blood circulation, you will become unconscious in about 10 seconds.

_Biological death_ is when the brain permanently ceases to function and cannot be revived. By definition, it is irreversible. Without circulation of blood, the time to _biological death_ is probably less than 6 minutes. The precise time is bit exactly known — many people say 4-6 minutes is the outside. Some circumstances (such as cold-water immersion) can lengthen this time substantially.

>how do you just die instantly?

So most of the time, people do not experience immediate _biological death_. Immediate _clinical death_ happens frequently – if the heart has a sudden arrhythmia that can no longer pump blood,, for example. But the brain is still alive for several minutes, and can theoretically be resuscitated if circulation can be restored.

Sudden _biological death_ happens when there is massive damage to the brain, such as from a high-energy blow (for example, a long fall, or being ejected from a motor vehicle while travelling at a high rate of speed). Other than that sort of thing, the brain can theoretically be resuscitated.

Practically, the resuscitation might be impossible – if the heart is destroyed by a gunshot,.for example. But the brain is still alive for 4-6 minutes in such cases.