Pulseless electrical activity (patient information)
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Resident Survival Guide |
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Pulseless electrical activity |
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Where to find medical care for Pulseless electrical activity? |
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Pulseless electrical activity On the Web |
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Directions to Hospitals Treating Pulseless electrical activity |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Pulseless electrical activity |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief:; Assistant Editor(s)-In-Chief:
Overview
What are the symptoms of Pulseless electrical activity?
Absence of palpable pulses is the main finding. Depending upon the cause, the following might be found:
- Tracheal deviation in or the unilateral absence of breath sounds in tension pneumothorax
- Decreased skin turgor
- Traumatic chest
- Cool extremities
- Tachycardia
- Cyanosis
What causes Pulseless electrical activity?
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".
- 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)
- Covid-19
Who is at highest risk?
- Age i.e elderly
- Black race
- Female gender
- Heart failure patients
- Pulmonary disease
- Syncope
Diagnosis
When to seek urgent medical care?
Treatment options
The current American Heart Association-Advanced Cardiac Life Support (AHA-ACLS) guidelines advise the following be undertaken in all patients:
Where to find medical care for Pulseless electrical activity?
Directions to Hospitals Treating Condition
Prevention
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
The following complications are likely to be seen in pulseless electrical activity:
- Rib fractures due to repeated chest compressions during CPR
- Poor perfusion can lead to Ischemia of extremities
- Anoxic brain injury