Death is defined by the cessation of all biological functions and is typically considered a suboptimal outcome. Patients often state their preference for ongoing life as opposed to death.
Symptoms
It can be very challenging eliciting symptoms in patient who has suffered from death. Collateral history is very useful here.
Signs
Vital signs can be very telling in a patient with death: temperature is room temperature or less, blood pressure is 0, heart rate is 0, respiratory rate is 0, and oxygen saturation is 0%. Physical exam can be very challenging due to the patient's lack of participation.
Treatment
However, just because a patient has died doesn't mean they are no longer a candidate for treatment. One of the most popular treatments after death is chemotherapy.[1] For more information, see Postmortem Chemotherapy.
References
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Fun Stuff
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