CPR, First Aid, BLS, ACLS, PALS certifications.
Online ACLS Course
Our online ACLS certification course includes understanding the physiology of the heart, overview of BLS and ACLS, ACLS Pharmacology, and AED training. The course is best suited for healthcare/medical professionals. It has 2 years validity. A group of 5 or more can take advantage of group discounts.
Asystole is associated with the absence of cardiac electrical activity, contraction of the heart muscle, and cardiac output. “Flatline” is a term used for no electrical activity seen on the ECG. However, “flatline” can result from other causes such as:
Asystole can be caused by many factors and are represented as H’s and T’s:
H’s | T’s |
Hypovolemia – Decreased blood volume | Tension pneumothorax – air in the pleural space around the lung (lung collapses) |
Hypoxia- decreased partial pressure of oxygen in blood | Tamponade – compression of the heart produced by excess fluid surrounding the heart |
Hydrogen ion (acidosis) – Increase in the concentration of H ions in blood | Toxins – poisonous substances |
Hyper-/hypokalemia –abnormally high or low potassium concentration in the blood | Thromobosis (pulmonary) – formation of a blood clot which blocks a blood vessel in lungs |
Hypothermia – body temperature less than 30 degrees C (86 degrees F) | Thrombosis (coronary) –formation of a blood clot which blocks a blood vessel in heart |
Scenario: You are a paramedic and arrive on the scene. A man is lying on the floor unconscious and the neighbor tells you that she saw the man collapse as he was unlocking his front door.
Assessment:
Interventions:
Management: AT the hospital initiate the cardiac arrest algorithm on the right if the patient still has no pulse and does not respond to BLS. Get a code team in place.
The following is an algorithm shows management of cardiac arrest due to a flat line situation or asystole/PEA (left side of chart)
Note: When conducting the BLS and ACLS survey on a patient with asystole, there may be times when you should hold resuscitative efforts; those include:
You have completed Chapter XII. Now you should be able to: