Dead on arrival
Encyclopedia
Dead on arrival or D.O.A. (also dead in the field) is a term used to 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 technician
s, paramedics, or police
. In some jurisdictions, first responders must consult verbally with a physician
before officially pronouncing a patient deceased, but once cardiopulmonary resuscitation
is initiated, it must be continued until a physician can pronounce the patient dead.
D.O.A. is also frequently used as slang
to indicate a new item that was received broken, or that an idea or concept is a nonstarter.
less patient, medical professionals are required to perform CPR unless specific conditions are met which allow them to pronounce the patient as deceased. For example, in most places, these are examples of such criteria:
(Note that the above list may not be a comprehensive picture of medical practice in all jurisdictions or conditions. For example, it may not represent the standard of care for patients with terminal diseases such as advanced cancer. In addition, jurisdictions such as Texas
permit withdrawal of medical care from patients who are deemed unlikely to recover.)
Regardless of the patient, pronouncement of death must always be made with absolute certainty and only after it has been determined that the patient is not a candidate for resuscitation. This type of decision is rather sensitive, and can be difficult to make.
Legal definitions of death
vary from place to place, for example irreversible brain death
, prolonged clinical death
, etc.
). If a new product, such as a computer
, arrives "DOA" then it is likely that the recipient will call the supplier to get a Return Merchandise Authorization
(RMA), a transaction that acknowledges that (apparently defective) goods will be returned to the supplier for refund, replacement or credit. Sometimes it is difficult to actually detect a defective or DOA product. With computers, for instance, it might require a boot image
to be installed and run through a test suite to detect any failed parts.
When, as with computers, product complexity is high and diagnostics are involved, the medical metaphor is perhaps appropriate, as complex diagnostics
might be required to determine if the product "is really dead".
In another context, "dead on arrival" may be used to describe an idea or product that is fundamentally flawed, and therefore viewed as an utter failure from the start. For instance, if television producers decided that a pro wrestling tournament were to air on a women-oriented network, the concept would be considered "dead on arrival".
Clinical death
Clinical death is the medical term for cessation of blood circulation and breathing, the two necessary criteria to sustain life. It occurs when the heart stops beating in a regular rhythm, a condition called cardiac arrest. The term is also sometimes used in resuscitation research.Stopped blood...
upon the arrival of professional medical assistance, often in the form of first responders such as emergency medical technician
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
s, paramedics, or police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
. In some jurisdictions, first responders must consult verbally with a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
before officially pronouncing a patient deceased, but once cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...
is initiated, it must be continued until a physician can pronounce the patient dead.
D.O.A. is also frequently used as slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
to indicate a new item that was received broken, or that an idea or concept is a nonstarter.
Medical D.O.A.
When presented with a pulsePulse
In medicine, one's pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the heartbeat by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed against a bone, such as at the neck , at the wrist , behind the knee , on the inside of the elbow , and near the...
less patient, medical professionals are required to perform CPR unless specific conditions are met which allow them to pronounce the patient as deceased. For example, in most places, these are examples of such criteria:
- Injuries not compatible with life. These include but are not necessarily limited to decapitationDecapitationDecapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
or other catastrophic brain trauma, incinerationIncinerationIncineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials. Incineration and other high temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment". Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas, and...
, severed body, and injuries that do not permit effective administration of C.P.R. If a patient is presenting with any of these conditions, it should be intuitively obvious that the patient is non-viableMortal WoundA mortal wound is a very severe and serious injury whether accidental or inflicted intentionally , which leads directly to the death of the victim. Death need not be instantaneous, but follows soon after...
. - Rigor mortisRigor mortisRigor mortis is one of the recognizable signs of death that is caused by a chemical change in the muscles after death, causing the limbs of the corpse to become stiff and difficult to move or manipulate...
, 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 used reported along with other determining factors. - Obvious decomposition.
- 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).
- StillbirthStillbirthA stillbirth occurs when a fetus has died in the uterus. The Australian definition specifies that fetal death is termed a stillbirth after 20 weeks gestation or the fetus weighs more than . Once the fetus has died the mother still has contractions and remains undelivered. The term is often used in...
. If it can be determined without a doubt that an infant died prior to birth, as indicated by skin blisters, an unusually soft head, and an extremely offensive odor, resuscitation should not be attempted. If there is even the slightest hope that the infant is viable, CPR should be initiated; some jurisdictions maintain that life-saving efforts should be attempted on all infants to assure parents that all possible actions were performed to save their child, futile as the medical professionals may have known them to be. - Identification of valid Do Not ResuscitateDo not resuscitateIn medicine, a "do not resuscitate" or "DNR" is a legal order written either in the hospital or on a legal form to respect the wishes of a patient to not undergo CPR or advanced cardiac life support if their heart were to stop or they were to stop breathing...
orders.
(Note that the above list may not be a comprehensive picture of medical practice in all jurisdictions or conditions. For example, it may not represent the standard of care for patients with terminal diseases such as advanced cancer. In addition, jurisdictions such as Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
permit withdrawal of medical care from patients who are deemed unlikely to recover.)
Regardless of the patient, pronouncement of death must always be made with absolute certainty and only after it has been determined that the patient is not a candidate for resuscitation. This type of decision is rather sensitive, and can be difficult to make.
Legal definitions of death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
vary from place to place, for example irreversible brain death
Brain death
Brain death is the irreversible end of all brain activity due to total necrosis of the cerebral neurons following loss of brain oxygenation. It should not be confused with a persistent vegetative state...
, prolonged clinical death
Clinical death
Clinical death is the medical term for cessation of blood circulation and breathing, the two necessary criteria to sustain life. It occurs when the heart stops beating in a regular rhythm, a condition called cardiac arrest. The term is also sometimes used in resuscitation research.Stopped blood...
, etc.
Popular usage
Colloquially, anything which is received in a non-operational (broken) state can be called DOA or dead on arrival (or, alternatively, defective on arrivalDefective on arrival
Defective On Arrival is an alternate interpretation of "D.O.A", which stands for "dead on arrival", a term used in medical context and with the alternative colloquial/trade meaning of "At the moment of receiving the item, it was damaged or defective to the point of not being usable".It is...
). If a new product, such as a computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
, arrives "DOA" then it is likely that the recipient will call the supplier to get a Return Merchandise Authorization
Return Merchandise Authorization
A Return Merchandise Authorization , sometimes Return Merchandise Agreement or ' product repaired or replaced or in order to receive a refund or credit for another product from the same retailer or corporation within the product's warranty period.The RMA process and the issuance of an RMA is a key...
(RMA), a transaction that acknowledges that (apparently defective) goods will be returned to the supplier for refund, replacement or credit. Sometimes it is difficult to actually detect a defective or DOA product. With computers, for instance, it might require a boot image
Boot image
A boot image is a type of disk image . When it is transferred onto a boot device it allows the associated hardware to boot....
to be installed and run through a test suite to detect any failed parts.
When, as with computers, product complexity is high and diagnostics are involved, the medical metaphor is perhaps appropriate, as complex diagnostics
Boot image control
A boot image control strategy is a common way to reduce total cost of ownership in organizations with large numbers of similar computers being used by users with common needs, e.g. a large corporation or government agency...
might be required to determine if the product "is really dead".
In another context, "dead on arrival" may be used to describe an idea or product that is fundamentally flawed, and therefore viewed as an utter failure from the start. For instance, if television producers decided that a pro wrestling tournament were to air on a women-oriented network, the concept would be considered "dead on arrival".
Film and TV
- D.O.A.D.O.A. (1950 film)D.O.A. , a film noir drama film directed by Rudolph Maté, is considered a classic of the genre. The frantically paced plot revolves around a doomed man's quest to find out who has poisoned him – and why – before he dies.Leo C...
is the title of a 1950 movie1950 in filmThe year 1950 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 15 - Walt Disney Studios' animated film Cinderella debuts.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:*Ambush...
regarded as a classic film noirFilm noirFilm noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
. - "D.O.A." was the penultimate of Season Six in NBC's hit crime drama Crossing JordanCrossing JordanCrossing Jordan is an American television crime/drama series that aired on NBC from September 24, 2001 to May 16, 2007. It stars Jill Hennessy as Jordan Cavanaugh, M.D., a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed in the Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Medical Examiner's Office...
. - "D.O.A." is the title of an episode of Godzilla The SeriesGodzilla: The SeriesGodzilla: The Series is an American/Japanese animated television series which originally aired on Fox in the United States. The show premiered on September 12, 1998, and is a direct sequel to the American Godzilla remake.-Plot:...
Songs
- A live/compilation album by the band Charged GBHCharged GBHCharged GBH are an English Street punk band, formed in 1978 by vocalist Colin Abrahall, guitarist Colin "Jock" Blyth, bassist Sean McCarthy and Drummer Andy " Wilf" Williams. GBH were early pioneers of English street punk, often nicknamed "UK82", along with Discharge, Broken Bones, The Exploited...
was titled Dead on Arrival: A Punk Rock Anthology (2005). - The BloodrockBloodrockBloodrock was an American hard rock band, based in Fort Worth, Texas, that had considerable success in the 1970s, and was one of the earliest of a number of significant bands to emerge from the Fort Worth club and music scene during the early to mid 1970s and on into the new century.-Early...
song "D.O.A.Children's Heritage/D.O.A."Children's Heritage/D.O.A." is a 7" vinyl single by Texas hard rock band Bloodrock released under Capitol Records in early 1971. The version of "D.O.A." featured on the single is roughly half the length of the album version found on Bloodrock 2. The motivation for writing this song was explained...
" is told from the point of view of a man dying of injuries suffered in a plane crash, lying in an ambulance with the paramedicParamedicA paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
standing over him and announcing "there's no hope for you." - "DOADOA (song)-Video:The video for the single shows the band in a 360° revolving room and on a train where objects act as if the train is rotating. The band said that the video made them feel ill and they felt like wetting themselves. It was directed by Michael Palmieri....
" was a hit song by the Foo FightersFoo FightersFoo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
on the album In Your HonorIn Your HonorIn Your Honor is the fifth studio album by Foo Fighters, released on June 14, 2005 on BMG. It consists of two discs. The first contains up beat rock songs and the second disc contains mellower acoustic songs.-Development:...
. - "Dead on ArrivalDead on Arrival (song)"Dead on Arrival" is a song by the American rock band Fall Out Boy and the first single from their 2003 debut full-length album Take This to Your Grave. It was released on blue 7" vinyl by Fueled by Ramen. The song was also included on a Kerrang! compilation CD...
" is a song by Fall Out BoyFall Out BoyFall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
on their 2003 album Take This To Your GraveTake This to Your GraveTake This to Your Grave is the second studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy. It is the group's first release under the Fueled by Ramen label and was released on May 6, 2003. The album title is taken from a line from the lyrics of the track "The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes", which...
. - "D.O.A" is the name of a song from the album Mimic47Mimic47Mimic47 is the 4th album by Finnish melodic death metal band Diablo. It debuted at #1 on the Finnish albums chart.-Track listing:# "Shadow World" - 3:36# "Damien" - 4:39# "Together As Lost" - 3:36# "In Sorrow We Trust" - 4:31# "Mimic 47" - 3:10...
by DiabloDiablo (band)Diablo is a Finnish melodic death metal band, formed in 1995 as Diablo Brothers. The band cite Testament, Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Opeth, Death, and Meshuggah as influences, but influence from several Gothenburg bands, including Dark Tranquillity, Hypocrisy, and In Flames, is also evident in... - Extended name for the song "D.O.A." by The HauntedThe HauntedThe Haunted is a Swedish metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1996.The original members were Anders & Jonas Björler, Peter Dolving, Adrian Erlandsson and Patrik Jensen...
in their album One Kill WonderOne Kill WonderOne Kill Wonder, released in 2003, is the third studio album by death/thrash metal band The Haunted."D.O.A." served as the album's only single. It was accompanied by a violent music video which found limited television airing due to its graphic nature... - "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"D.O.A. " is a song written by American rapper Jay-Z. It was produced by No I.D. The song was released as a digital download on June 23, 2009, and as the first single from Jay-Z's 11th studio album, The Blueprint 3. The song made its world premiere on the New York radio station Hot 97 on June 5...
" is a single from hip hop musicHip hop musicHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
.
Other
- The illegal substance PCPPhencyclidinePhencyclidine , commonly initialized as PCP and known colloquially as angel dust, is a recreational dissociative drug...
is occasionally slangly termed "Dead-on-arival". - In Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
, the wrestler Suicide names his finishing maneuvre, a PowerbombPowerbombA powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...
variant, the DOA.