Pulseless electrical activity on ecg code#

If the heart’s electrical system cannot be moved into a rhythm capable of defibrillation or if it fails to achieve ROSC, the person dies. It provides a path for health professionals to encourage ROSC. Health professionals dealing with someone in cardiac arrest tend to view medications and electrical stimulation (defibrillation) as the best ways to encourage return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). What does that mean? Consider the reason asystole is an unshockable rhythm. The most common pathway to this form of asystole is hypoxia with metabolic acidosis.īoth types of asystole may also occur untreated ventricular fibrillation and before attempts to defibrillate. In other words, the heart’s electrical system still functions, but it does not have the power to generate an action potential. This results in a failure to generate any depolarization of cardiac tissue. Secondary asystole occurs when factors outside of the nerve system and the heart’s electrical conduction system fail. For example, these conditions may contribute to asystole:Įach of these conditions involves damage to the nerves surrounding the neck, face, and head. It may result from multiple forms of trauma, says.

With that in mind, primary systole may result from a unique type of bradycardia, bradyarrhythmia. When asystole occurs, the blockage of an action potential results in a loss of rhythm and heartbeat. As the pulse moves downward, the right ventricle contracts pulsing blood back up through the pulmonary artery and to the lungs. In this case, the SA node begins the depolarization process, triggering the depolarization of the right atrium. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing 2022 Jan-.Remember that an action potential describes the depolarization of a cell in response to a stimulus. Now test your knowledge with this Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA) Quiz.Īmerican Heart Association | Algorithms. Think of the H’s and T’s: hypovolemia, hypoxia, toxins, thrombosis and so forth. Other treatment includes supporting the airway.Īs the patient is resuscitated it’s important to think of a potential cause of the rhythm. Medications that can be administered are Epinephrine. It’s important to note that Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA) is a non-shockable rhythm. When help arrives follow ACLS algorithm recommendations.

Pulseless electrical activity on ecg code#

When you confirm the patient is experiencing PEA, get help by activating emergency response system (call a code blue etc.) and start CPR. Treatment for Pulseless Electricial Activity (PEA) Hypovolemia ( shock), hypoxia, electrolyte imbalance (example high or low potassium), thrombosis, some type of trauma, cardiac disease etc. Causes of Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA) This rhythm is a great example of why you can’t always trust the ECG monitor and must check the patient for yourself. However, again when you go to check the patient, they will have NO pulse and be unresponsive. In addition, you may or may NOT see p waves and QRS complex. The organized presentation of this rhythm can vary in that you may see something on the ECG that looks like normal sinus rhythm, sinus bradycardia, sinus tachycardia etc.