Talk:Dead on arrival
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[edit] First Responders
First responders most certainly are qualified to pronounce patients as deceased. Dead on arrival refers to arrival to an event (i.e. arrival of firefighters, paramedics, police, etc.), not arrival to the hospital. To quote Brady Emergency Care (8th ed.) (an EMT-B textbook), "When Not to Begin CPR or to Terminate CPR":
"Usually, of course, you will perform CPR when the patient has no pulse. However, there are special circumstances in which CPR should not be initiated even though the patient has no pulse.
- Obvious mortal wounds (...)
- Rigor mortis (...)
- Obvious decomposition.
- A line of lividity (...)
- Stillbirth (...)
"In all cases, if you are in doubt, seek a physicians advice." (p.818)
Perhaps this is not the case in all jurisdictions, but it is ccertainly NOT the norm to force providers to provide CPR unconditionally to any pulseless patient they come across. Do you really think an EMT can't pronounce a decapitated patient? Shaggorama 08:23, 12 January 2006 (UTC)
