Pulseless electrical activity causes
 |
Resident Survival Guide |
|
Pulseless electrical activity Microchapters |
|
Differentiating Pulseless Electrical Activity from other Diseases |
|---|
|
Diagnosis |
|
Treatment |
|
Case Studies |
|
Pulseless electrical activity causes On the Web |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Pulseless electrical activity causes |
|
Directions to Hospitals Treating Pulseless electrical activity |
|
Risk calculators and risk factors for Pulseless electrical activity causes |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Patients with pulseless electrical activity constitute 20 percent of victims of cardiac arrest, and only about 4 percent of such patients survive to be discharged from the hospital
Causes
Life Threatening Causes
Pulseless electrical activity is a life-threatening condition and must be treated as such irrespective of the causes. Life-threatening conditions can result in death or permanent disability within 24 hours if left untreated.
Common Causes
Common causes of PEA include preceding respiratory failure in 40% to 50% of cases, and hypovolemia. The common causes of PEA can be remembered using the mnemonic "The Hs and Ts".[1][2][3]
- Hypovolemia
- Hypoxia
- Hydrogen ions (Acidosis)
- Hypothermia
- Hyperkalemia or Hypokalemia
- Hypoglycemia
- Tablets or Toxins (Drug overdose) such as beta blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, or calcium channel blockers
- Tamponade
- Tension pneumothorax
- Thrombosis (Myocardial infarction)
- Thrombosis (Pulmonary embolism)
- Trauma (Hypovolemia from blood loss)
As noted by repeated balloon inflations in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, transient occlusion of the coronary artery does not cause PEA.
Causes by Organ System
| Cardiovascular | No underlying causes |
| Chemical/Poisoning | No underlying causes |
| Dental | No underlying causes |
| Dermatologic | No underlying causes |
| Drug Side Effect | No underlying causes |
| Ear Nose Throat | No underlying causes |
| Endocrine | No underlying causes |
| Environmental | No underlying causes |
| Gastroenterologic | No underlying causes |
| Genetic | No underlying causes |
| Hematologic | No underlying causes |
| Iatrogenic | No underlying causes |
| Infectious Disease | No underlying causes |
| Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic | No underlying causes |
| Neurologic | No underlying causes |
| Nutritional/Metabolic | No underlying causes |
| Obstetric/Gynecologic | No underlying causes |
| Oncologic | No underlying causes |
| Ophthalmologic | No underlying causes |
| Overdose/Toxicity | No underlying causes |
| Psychiatric | No underlying causes |
| Pulmonary | No underlying causes |
| Renal/Electrolyte | No underlying causes |
| Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy | No underlying causes |
| Sexual | No underlying causes |
| Trauma | No underlying causes |
| Urologic | No underlying causes |
| Miscellaneous | No underlying causes |
Causes in Alphabetical Order
|
|
|
References
- ↑ ACLS: Principles and Practice. p. 71-87. Dallas: American Heart Association, 2003. ISBN 0-87493-341-2.
- ↑ ACLS for Experienced Providers. p. 3-5. Dallas: American Heart Association, 2003. ISBN 0-87493-424-9.
- ↑ "2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care - Part 7.2: Management of Cardiac Arrest." Circulation 2005; 112: IV-58 - IV-66.