A “Pulseless Electrical Activity” (PEA) arrest is a type of cardiac arrest where the heart’s electrical activity is present, but there is no detectable pulse or blood pressure. This means that although the heart generates electrical signals, it does not effectively pump blood to the body’s vital organs. Various factors, such as heart attack, respiratory failure, electrolyte imbalances, and drug overdose, can cause PEA arrest. Immediate medical intervention is required to try and restore the heart’s normal function and maintain blood flow to the body’s vital organs.
Generally, a PEA (Pulseless Electrical Activity) arrest is not considered a shockable rhythm. This is because the heart’s electrical activity in PEA is usually too weak or disorganized to respond to defibrillation. Defibrillation is a medical treatment that delivers an electrical shock to the heart to restore its normal rhythm in certain types of cardiac arrest, such as ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT).
However, in some cases, PEA may occur as a result of an underlying shockable rhythm such as VF or VT that has deteriorated into PEA. In such cases, defibrillation may be considered if the patient is not responding to CPR and other resuscitative measures. Therefore, the decision to deliver a shock during PEA arrest will depend on the underlying cause and the patient’s overall clinical condition.
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