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 to elicit symptoms in a 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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