Gaoxiong yi xue ke xue za zhi = The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences
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Dead on arrival (DOA) is a distressful situation for most medical personnel and families. There are few papers about this topic in Taiwan though most DOAs are unexpected and sudden with or without underlying disease as predisposing factors. From January 1, 1993 to December 31, 1993, 487 DOA patients were sent to 4 large hospitals in the Kaohsiung area (including Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County). ⋯ Though our emergency medical service system (EMSS) has been active since 1990, there are still several drawbacks. Public education of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, easy access to EMSS, and appropriate management in hospitals must be stressed. With the improvement of prehospital care, EMSS, and in-hospital care, there will be a decrease in DOA patients.