Uniform Determination of Death Act 1981 (UDDA)
Definition
US model legislation, drafted by the President's Commission, that provides two legally equivalent definitions of death: irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, and irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain including the brain stem. Adopted in most US states.
- Year
- 1981
- Drafted by
- President's Commission (US)
- Two standards
- Circulatory/respiratory cessation, or whole-brain death
- Adoption
- Most US states
Common questions
Why does the UDDA offer two definitions instead of one?+
It recognises that death can be legally declared either by the traditional cardiopulmonary standard or, in cases such as a ventilated patient with catastrophic brain injury, by the neurological standard, so a single mechanism is not forced onto every clinical scenario.
Does brain stem death alone satisfy the UDDA's brain death standard?+
No, the UDDA requires irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain including the brain stem, which is a stricter test than some other countries' whole-brain or brain-stem-only criteria.
Related terms
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- Molecular Death
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- Somatic Death
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- TOHTA 1994
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