Dead On Arrival

Dead on arrival or D.O.A. (also dead in the field) is a term used to indicate that a patient was found to be already clinically dead upon the arrival of professional medical assistance, often in the form of first responders such as emergency medical technicians, paramedics, or police.

In some jurisdictions, first responders must consult verbally with a physician before officially pronouncing a patient deceased, but once cardiopulmonary resuscitation is initiated, it must be continued until a physician can pronounce the patient dead.

D.O.A. is also frequently used as slang to indicate a new item that was received broken, or that an idea or concept is a nonstarter.