Accurate completion of medical report on diagnosing death

Abstract

Diagnosing death and issuing a Death Diagnosing Form (DDF) represents an activity that carries a great deal of public responsibility for medical professionals of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and is perpetually exposed to the control of the general public. Diagnosing death is necessary so as to confirm true, to exclude apparent death and consequentially to avoid burying a person alive, i.e. apparently dead. These expert-methodological guidelines based on the most up-to-date and medically based evidence have the goal of helping the physicians of the EMS in accurately filling out a medical report on diagnosing death. If the outcome of applied cardiopulmonary resuscitation measures is negative or when the person is found dead, the physician is under obligation to diagnose death and correctly fill out the DDF. It is also recommended to perform electrocardiography (EKG) and record asystole in at least two leads. In the process of diagnostics and treatment, it is a moral obligation of each Belgrade EMS physician to apply all available achievements and knowledge of modern medicine acquired from extensive international studies, which have been indeed the major theoretical basis for the creation of these expert-methodological guidelines. Those acting differently do so in accordance with their conscience and risk professional, and even criminal sanctions.