deep sleep. The eyes are usually closed, there is no purposeful or
spontaneous movement, and if he is on a ventilator, his chest may
rise and fall while the machine breathes for him. Because the
ventilator is bringing oxygen into the body, the heart may continue to
beat for a while, pumping blood through the blood vessels, so the
skin may still be pink. The skin may be warm to the touch because
the person is kept warm under a blanket, but he cannot keep himself
warm independently. Judging by appearance alone, it may be
difficult to tell that the person is dead.
Even to a medical professional, a brain dead person on a ventilator
may look surprisingly like a living person even though they are not
alive. That is why the determination of brain death is so carefully
documented and confirmed with appropriate testing.
