OBJECTIVE Pulseless electrical activity (PEA) during cardiac arrest portends a poor prognosis. There is a paucity of data in the use of thrombolytic therapy in PEA and cardiopulmonary arrest due to confirmed pulmonary embolism (PE). We evaluated the outcome of low-dose systemic thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in patients presenting with PEA due to PE. METHODS During a 34-...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Guidelines on cardiac arrest (CA) recommend the prompt beginning of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the identification and correction of reversible causes. This article deals with the application of clinical ultrasonography (US) in resuscitation, presenting a simple codified US protocol usable during CPR to recognize reversible causes of CA. EVIDENCE ON US IN C...

BACKGROUND Corresponding with a continuing decline in the prevalence of sudden cardiac arrest cases presenting with ventricular fibrillation (VF), there has been a significant rise in the prevalence of pulseless electrical activity (PEA). Given significantly lower survival from PEA versus VF, we comprehensively investigated PEA correlates by incorporating first-responder data with lifetime clin...

Background—Corresponding with a continuing decline in the prevalence of sudden cardiac arrest cases presenting with ventricular fibrillation (VF), there has been a significant rise in the prevalence of pulseless electrical activity (PEA). Given significantly lower survival from PEA versus VF, we comprehensively investigated PEA correlates by incorporating first-responder data with lifetime clin...

Myocardial infarction (MI) and massive pulmonary embolism (MPE) are common causes of cardiac arrest. We present two cases with similar clinical presentation and EKG findings but different initial rhythms. Case  1. A 55-year-old African American male (AAM) was brought to the emergency room (ER) with cardiac arrest and pulseless electrical activity (PEA). Twelve-lead electrocardiogram (EKG) was s...

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) due to pulseless electrical activity (PEA) has a poor prognosis and identification of cases with higher likelihood survival could facilitate the resuscitation process. In PEA, QRS frequency morphology can vary significantly. To investigate if predict outcomes in PEA. The study population is drawn from two prospective, community-based studies out-of-hospital SCA U.S.:...

BACKGROUND Pulseless electrical activity cardiac arrest is associated with poor outcomes and the identification of potentially reversible reasons for cardiac arrest is fundamental. CASE PRESENTATION We describe the case of a 46-year-old male with the rare coincidental finding of supravalvular aortic stenosis and coronary vasospasm leading to recurrent pulseless electrical activity cardiac arr...

BACKGROUND There is increasing evidence that defibrillation from prolonged ventricular fibrillation (VF) before CPR decreases survival. It remains unclear, however, whether harmful effects are due primarily to initial countershock of ischemic myocardium or to resultant postdefibrillation rhythms (ie, pulseless electrical activity [PEA] or asystole). METHODS AND RESULTS We induced 15 dogs into...