Terminal State

the transitional states between life and biological death. The terminal state is marked by profound, although reversible, impairment of function in the most important body organs and systems and by increasing hypoxia. The terminal state includes the stages of preagony, with loss of consciousness and reflexes and retention of respiration and cardiac activity; death agony; and clinical death, in which there are no external signs of life. The length of the terminal state depends on the severity of the underlying disease and on whether measures are taken to revive the body, including heart massage and artificial or auxiliary respiration. Such measures are accompanied by treatment of the underlying disease; an example is antishock therapy in the case of trauma.