The term incompatible with life is used in circumstances of injury or developmental disorder that render
life
Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
impossible.
Injury and death
Examples of injuries incompatible with life are
decapitation
Decapitation is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and all vertebrate animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood by way of severing through the jugular vein and common c ...
or
gross dismemberment. Other circumstances that are regarded as self-evidently incompatible with life include
traumatic hemicorporectomy,
decomposition
Decomposition is the process by which dead organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter such as carbon dioxide, water, simple sugars and mineral salts. The process is a part of the nutrient cycle and is ess ...
,
incineration
Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of substances contained in waste materials. Industrial plants for waste incineration are commonly referred to as waste-to-energy facilities. Incineration and other high ...
,
hypostasis and
rigor mortis
Rigor mortis (), or postmortem rigidity, is the fourth stage of death. It is one of the recognizable signs of death, characterized by stiffening of the limbs of the corpse caused by chemical changes in the muscles postmortem (mainly calcium ...
; in these circumstances, paramedics and other similar workers may be allowed to regard a person as dead in the absence of a physician.
Fetal abnormality
Developmental disorders are considered incompatible with life when essential structures or biological functions necessary for the preservation of life are not formed or certain
aneuploidies are present; they may result in
spontaneous abortion
Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion, is an end to pregnancy resulting in the loss and expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the womb before it can survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is ...
,
stillbirth
Stillbirth is typically defined as fetus, fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without vital signs, signs of life. A stillbirth can often result in the feeling of guilt (emotio ...
, or
neonatal death
Perinatal mortality (PNM) is the death of a fetus or neonate and is the basis to calculate the perinatal mortality rate. ''Perinatal'' means "relating to the period starting a few weeks before birth and including the birth and a few weeks after bi ...
. Examples of conditions generally considered incompatible with life include
Potter's syndrome,
Trisomy 16
Trisomy 16 is a chromosomal abnormality in which there are 3 copies of chromosome 16 (human), chromosome 16 rather than two. It is the most common autosomal trisomy leading to miscarriage, and the second most common chromosomal cause (closely foll ...
, and
anencephaly
Anencephaly is the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp that occurs during embryonic development. It is a cephalic disorder that results from a neural tube defect that occurs when the rostral (head) end of the neural tube ...
. Where disorders incompatible with life are found before birth, patients may elect to have an
induced abortion
Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriage, miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of ...
.
The definition of which conditions are incompatible with life can change as medicine advances, such as where medical techniques have made it possible for some people born with some conditions generally regarded as incompatible with life such as Potter's syndrome to survive. There have even been extremely rare cases of short-term survival into infancy with conditions as severe as anencephaly.
However, others remain beyond help.
See also
*
Dead on arrival
*
List of fetal abnormalities
References
{{Authority control
Medical aspects of death