@article {Harvey367, author = {L Harvey and M Woollard}, title = {Outcome of patients identified as dead (beyond resuscitation) at the point of the emergency call}, volume = {21}, number = {3}, pages = {367--369}, year = {2004}, doi = {10.1136/emj.2002.002410}, publisher = {British Association for Accident and Emergency Medicine}, abstract = {Objective: Currently, an emergency ambulance is dispatched to all cardiac arrest victims. This study aimed to determine the outcome of patients with a dispatch code of 09B01 ({\textquotedblleft}obvious death{\textquotedblright}) and considers the appropriateness of dispatching a non-emergency response. Methods: Dispatch records, patient report forms, and hospital records were reviewed to determine patient outcome. Results: Within the one year study period 141 emergency calls were coded as 09B01. Records were obtained for 59 of these cases (42\%). Ambulance crews diagnosed 54 as beyond resuscitation (91.5\%, 95\% CI 79.5\% to 96.2\%). Three received resuscitation attempts (5.1\%, 95\% CI 1.1\% to 14.2\%): two were subsequently pronounced dead at scene and one on arrival at hospital. Two patients were not in cardiac arrest (3.4\%, 95\% CI 0.4\% to 11.7\%): one was a transiently unconscious assault victim, and one had a hand injury after a road accident. Three patients coded as 09B01 were transported to hospital for treatment other than confirmation of death (5.1\%, 95\% CI 1.1\% to 14.2\%). Conclusion: Not all patients coded 09B01 by dispatchers are assessed as {\textquotedblleft}dead beyond resuscitation{\textquotedblright} by attending ambulance crews. Although poor data recovery and a small sample size limited the study, its findings suggest that it is inappropriate to allocate a non-emergency response to 09B01 (obvious death) calls.}, issn = {1472-0205}, URL = {https://emj.bmj.com/content/21/3/367}, eprint = {https://emj.bmj.com/content/21/3/367.full.pdf}, journal = {Emergency Medicine Journal} }