CIEMT Medical and Physiology Practice Exam

Pulseless electrical activity is when the monitor shows electrical activity, but there is no effective heart muscle contraction to produce a pulse. The rhythm on the ECG can be organized or irregular, yet no palpable pulse exists, so there is no cardiac output. Because there is electrical activity without a pulse, this is not a rhythm that should be shocked; defibrillation is not indicated. Management focuses on high-quality CPR and rapid evaluation and treatment of reversible causes (such as hypoxia, hypovolemia, acidosis, electrolyte disturbances, tamponade, tension pneumothorax, and thrombosis).