If resuscitative efforts are withheld, what is the first step that should be taken?

When resuscitative efforts are withheld, the priority is to ensure that emergency medical services or prehospital personnel who are responding to the scene are notified to stand down. This allows for resource management and prevents unnecessary intervention in a situation where resuscitation will not be attempted. Canceling any prehospital personnel en route ensures that they are not diverted from other essential calls or interventions that may require their immediate attention.

The other steps, such as contacting family, starting documentation, or notifying the local hospital, are important but come after ensuring that emergency personnel are not dispatched to a scene where resuscitation is not going to be performed. Each of these subsequent actions can follow the cancellation of prehospital services, as they focus on informing others necessary about the situation while ensuring that the correct procedures are followed following the decision to withhold resuscitation.