Dead on arrival

Dead on arrival (DOA) indicates that a patient is unsalvageable, i.e. cannot be resuscitated, upon arrival at a medical facility or the arrival of paramedics at the scene. Dead in the field, brought in dead (BID), and dead right there (DRT) are terms which similarly indicate that a patient was found to be already clinically dead upon the arrival of professional medical assistance, often in the form of first responders such as emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, or police.

In some jurisdictions, first responders must consult verbally with a physician before officially pronouncing a patient deceased, but once cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is initiated, it must be continued until a physician can pronounce the patient dead.

Medical DOA

When presented with a patient, medical professionals are required to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) unless specific conditions are met that allow them to pronounce the patient as deceased. In most places, these are examples of such criteria:

Injuries that are incompatible with life. These include but are not necessarily limited to decapitation, catastrophic brain trauma, incineration, gross dismemberment, or injuries that do not permit effective administration of CPR. If a patient has sustained such injuries, it should be intuitively obvious that the patient is non-viable.

Rigor mortis, indicating that the patient has been dead for at least a few hours. Rigor mortis can sometimes be difficult to determine, so it is often reported along with other determining factors.

Obvious decomposition

Livor mortis (lividity), indicating that the body has been pulseless and in the same position long enough for blood to sink and collect within the body, creating purplish discolorations at the lowest points of the body (with respect to gravity)

Stillbirth.