Patient Characteristics of Persons Dead on Arrival Received in a Danish Emergency Department: A Retrospective Review of Health Records

A qualitative study of the experiences of relatives to brought in dead persons in an emergency department

“…In Denmark, it is only a physician who can declare a person dead unless dead is obvious or expected,-in all other cases, is it an obligation to call for help and start resuscitation. As discussed in a previous paper (Bove et al, 2021), it is debatable whether the death of an old and comorbid person is unexpected and whether resuscitation initiation is appropriate. Our findings illustrate a dilemma between the legal entitlement to carry through resuscitation regardless of age and general state of health, and the subsequent retrospective meaning of having either initiated or silently witnessed resuscitation attempts in a concrete situation.…”

“…Our results showed that a medium‐sized Danish ED, on average, received one BID individual every day, which made it a frequent occurrence. The majority of the BID persons (80%) were found either dead or dying in their homes, and in 54% of the cases, by a close relative (Bove et al, 2021 ). On average, each deceased person is known to have four close relatives (Shear et al, 2013 ).…”

“…The relatives of BID individuals comprise a vulnerable population because the circumstances related to their loss are often associated with some kind of traumatic event (Bove et al, 2021 ), and the increased risk of PGD (Djelantik et al, 2020 ; Lundorff et al, 2017 ) also magnifies the risk of developing post‐traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) (Kaltman & Bonanno, 2003 ). Our previous work (Bove et al, 2021 ) illustrated that relatives (>50%) were often the ones who found the deceased already dead or in a dying state. In other cases, relatives had witnessed or participated in failed resuscitation attempts or were told by the police that their loved one had died by suicide or was killed in an accident.…”

“…Most BID persons are elderly and can therefore be assumed to have older relatives (Bove et al, 2021 ). Old age is a risk factor for both PTSD (O'Connor, 2010 ) and PGD (Djelantik et al, 2020 ; Lundorff et al, 2017 ).…”