Which of the following is NOT a method to determine if someone is DOA?

Conducting a full autopsy is not a method used to quickly determine if someone is dead on arrival (DOA) because it is a comprehensive procedure that takes place after preliminary assessments have been made. An autopsy involves a detailed examination of the body to ascertain the cause of death, which is typically done after legal and medical considerations have been addressed, rather than as an initial assessment when someone is suspected to be DOA.

In contrast, checking for a carotid pulse, assessing for rigor mortis, and checking for dependent lividity are all immediate techniques that can be employed at the scene or soon after death is suspected. These methods provide rapid evidence of life or death.

• Checking for a carotid pulse involves feeling for a heartbeat in the large neck arteries, which can indicate whether the heart is still pumping blood.

• Assessing for rigor mortis involves examining muscle stiffness that occurs after death, indicating that biological processes have ceased.

• Checking for dependent lividity involves looking for pooling of blood in the dependent areas of the body due to gravity, which suggests the time frame since death.

These methods are important in emergency situations for providing a quick determination of death, while a full autopsy serves a different purpose altogether.