Can someone who is said to be dead come back to life? Let's talk about this strange phenomenon called the Lazarus Effect!

Have you ever heard of a situation where a person appears to be alive again after doctors have declared them dead? It sounds a little unbelievable, doesn't it? However, this is a rare but reported phenomenon in the medical world. It's called the Lazarus Effect. Let's talk about it in a little more detail today, because it can be important to know.

So, what exactly is the Lazarus Effect?

Simply put, the Lazarus Effect is when, after a doctor has officially declared someone dead, their blood flow suddenly starts again and they start showing signs of life. The doctors call this 'autoresuscitation' . That is, after CPR has stopped, the heart starts beating again and blood circulation is restored without any external help. However, this is not the same as the stories that say that a dead person actually comes back to life. There is a story in the Bible about a man named Lazarus being raised from the dead. But this medical phenomenon is different. What happens here is that after doctors have determined that a person's vital organs have stopped working and pronounced them dead, there is sometimes a slight delay in the restarting of the heartbeat and blood circulation. This delay is what makes the person appear dead and then come back to life. This is called the 'Lazarus phenomenon', 'Lazarus syndrome', etc. In medical terms, it is also called 'autoresuscitation after failed cardiopulmonary resuscitation'. But let's remember that it is simply (Autoresuscitation).

What kind of things need to happen in order for this to happen?

Doctors recognize this condition (autoresuscitation) when a chain of events occurs like this:

• First, a person experiences an emergency, such as cardiac arrest .
• Then a doctor or other trained person begins cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
• At some point, the person performing CPR realizes that these treatments are not producing the expected results and that the person is dead.
• Then, a medical professional authorized to certify death officially declares the person clinically dead .
• From that moment on, no medical intervention, that is, no other treatment, is performed.
• After a few minutes, or even hours, someone will see signs of life (for example, body movements, breathing). These signs should last more than a few seconds.
• Eventually, a doctor confirms that the person's blood circulation has resumed, and active medical treatment is resumed.

It is difficult to say exactly how long it takes for blood circulation to resume after death. According to reported cases, signs of life often appear within 10 minutes of stopping CPR. However, sometimes it can take longer. It is possible that no one will notice the blood circulation restarting for some time.

How common is the Lazarus Effect?

Medical records indicate that this is actually a very rare event . From 1982 to 2018, 65 such cases have been documented in the medical literature worldwide. Of these, only 18 people have fully recovered. However, researchers believe that this phenomenon may be more common than is actually reported. However, it is still not clear how common it is, or who is more likely to experience this. Looking at the cases that have been reported so far, the majority of people who have experienced this (about 68%) are over the age of 60. This (autoresuscitation) has occurred both in and out of hospitals. However, it always happens after someone has been given CPR.

Why does this Lazarus Phenomenon happen? What is the reason?

To be honest, doctors still don't know exactly what causes this. But, here's one of the main theories that has been put forward to explain it. Think about it, when you do CPR, you force air into the lungs too quickly. This can sometimes cause the lungs to fill up too much. This is called 'hyperinflation.' Simply put, the lungs fill up too much, and there's not enough time for the air to fully inflate. This causes the pressure inside the chest to increase suddenly.

When the pressure in the chest increases in this way, the blood flow to the heart and the blood pumping out of the heart are limited. Then, when CPR is stopped, the increased pressure suddenly decreases. Then, the trapped blood can start flowing back to the heart . This is how blood circulation is restarted. However, in most cases, this is only temporary.

The important thing is that even if blood circulation is restored for a short time in this way, many people do not live long. That is why doctors try to avoid such a late start of blood circulation or premature declaration of death. Because, if that happens, the caregivers and the family suddenly have great hope, and it is impossible to imagine the sadness and shock when it is quickly lost.

So are there ways to prevent this Lazarus Phenomenon?

Rather than completely preventing this phenomenon, the important thing here is to avoid prematurely and incorrectly concluding that someone is dead. For this reason, researchers have suggested some guidelines for doctors to follow before declaring death. They are:

• Continue CPR for at least 20 minutes .
• When performing CPR, take precautions to prevent hyperinflation, which is when the lungs fill up too much. For example, some CPR guidelines say to give a maximum of 12 breaths per minute.
• Electroconvulsive therapy, that is, after defibrillation (which can sometimes temporarily stop the heart from beating completely - this is called asystole or "flat-lining"), do not stop CPR suddenly.
• Continuous, very close monitoring of the patient for at least 10 minutes after stopping CPR treatment before declaring death.

Should we also think about the decisions we need to make at the end of our lives?

When you think about life-or-death situations like these, you may feel a little helpless and scared. That's normal. But you can make decisions in advance about what medical care you want and what you don't want at the end of your life and take an active role in those decisions. For example, you can decide whether you want CPR or other life support. This way, you can let your doctor, family, and loved ones know what you want in advance. You can also legally name someone who can make medical decisions for you if you are unable to do so (a healthcare power of attorney).

These are never easy decisions, but planning ahead as much as possible can give you and your family a lot of peace of mind in the future.

Finally, things we need to remember (Take-Home Message)

This Lazarus Effect is a very, very rare phenomenon, but it is something that happens every day in the medical world, where everyone, including doctors, try to save someone's life. So, I think what we have talked about today about this strange phenomenon will be a good reminder for you to be more aware of life support and end-of-life care. Be sure to talk to your doctor and find out what your options are, and how to put your wishes in writing. It will be very important for you and your family.

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