Final answer:
The statement is false; prior to 1978, death was recognized as the cessation of heartbeat and breathing. The understanding of brain death began influencing the criteria for declaring death following a report in 1968, and medical advancements have further refined the definition of death.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that death for a patient was essentially only when the heart stopped beating prior to 1978 is False. Before the acceptance and understanding of brain death, death was often recognized as the cessation of heartbeat and breathing. However, the concept of brain death emerged in the medical community, notably after the landmark Harvard Medical School report in 1968 which differentiated brain death from coma and vegetative states, and outlined criteria for its diagnosis. The cases of Terri Schiavo and a 13-year-old girl declared brain dead in 2013 highlight the complexities and evolution of how death is defined in the field of medicine.
Technological advancements in medicine have enabled the sustenance of bodily functions after the brain has ceased to function, leading to ethical questions about when life support should be continued or withdrawn. The practice of transplanting organs from brain-dead donors, necessitating clear definitions of death, also underscores the importance of distinguishing brain death from cardiac death.
Accordingly, the determination of death has shifted from a strictly cardiovascular definition to a more comprehensive neurologic assessment. This change reflects an understanding that death can occur despite the presence of a beating heart, particularly when significant brain damage is irreversible. With the advent and practice of defining death by neurological criteria, the field of medicine now recognizes two ways in which death can be declared: cardiac and brain death.