What term describes the absence of all vital signs?

The term that describes the absence of all vital signs is clinical death. This condition is characterized by the cessation of measurable biological functions that sustain life, including the absence of breathing and heartbeat. In this state, although there may be a temporary absence of vital functions, there is still a possibility of resuscitation, which distinguishes it from legal death.

Legal death, on the other hand, is a more formal declaration typically defined by specific criteria outlining when an individual is considered dead from a legal perspective. This usually occurs after irreversibility of vital functions is confirmed—meaning that resuscitation is no longer possible.

Cardiac arrest refers specifically to the stopping of the heart's function, which can lead to clinical death if not addressed promptly, but it does not encompass the broader absence of all vital signs, such as respiration.

Mortal cessation, while it sounds similar, is not a commonly used term in medical or legal contexts and may not accurately imply the absence of all vital signs in the way clinical death does.

Therefore, clinical death precisely captures the scenario where there are no vital signs present, making it the most appropriate term in this case.