Pediatric Advance Life Support: Asystole Part 1

Non-profusing Rhythms

·         Pulseless electrical activity

·         Asystole

·         Agonal Rhythms

·         Ventricular tachycardia

·         Ventricular fibrillation

Cardiac Arrest in Infants and Children

·         Does not usually result from a primary cardiac cause

·         Terminal result of progressive respiratory failure or shock

·         Asphyxia begins

·         Period of systemic hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and acidosis

·         Progresses to bradycardia and hypotension

·         Culminates with cardiac arrest

Keys to Treating Pediatric Cardiac Arrest

·         Rapid recognition of the arrest

·         Immediate, high quality CPR

·         Correction of contributing factors and reversible causes

Asystole

·         Most common out of hospital pediatric arrest rhythm

·         Most often caused by combination of hypoxia and ischemia

·         Look for reversible causes

·         Outcome is generally very poor

Asystolic Rhythms

Aystole

Agonal rhythm

Ventricular fibrillation deteriorating to aystole