Which of the following is NOT a criterion for determining death?

Determining death involves several criteria that medical professionals use to ensure a person has indeed passed away. The presence of vital signs, such as heartbeat or breathing, is a clear indication that a person is alive. Therefore, vital signs are not a criterion for determining death; rather, they signify the opposite.

On the other hand, decapitation and severe blunt force trauma without signs of life are definitive indicators of death because they cause irreversible damage. Rigor mortis, which is the stiffening of muscles after death, is a physical sign that can assist in determining the time of death but also serves to indicate that death has occurred. In contrast, the presence of vital signs unequivocally reflects life, making it not a criterion for confirming death.