Aproximación crítica a los problemas sociales de la muerte encefálica

the article aims to critically approach some of the problems of death diagnosis, as a medical phenomenon of widely social dimension. reflections are based on ethical, bioethical and epistemological aspects. the paper analyzes the basic principles of bioethics, the informed consent and its relation to brain death and organ donation. it also points out the turn marked by the declaration of harvard, since the classic establishment of death up to the definition of brain death. it provides comments on different legislations that include donor’s acceptance, as well as legal aspects related to brain death and transplants, established in cuba.