Dr. Chu continues: "Brain death is a product of modern medicine." Fifty years ago there were no artificial respirators or heart stimulants; when brain functions stopped, breathing and heartbeat would quickly follow. Today a brain dead individual could be kept alive for one or two weeks.
「腦死是現代醫學的產物」，朱樹勳接著補充，五十年前，沒有人工呼吸器和強心劑，人一旦腦部因撞擊、嚴重挫傷，而導致腦幹碎裂時，在極短的時間內就會停止呼吸及心跳；不像現在，「腦死」病人在種種急救設備支撐下，可以存活一、兩個星期。