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Emergency Medical Minute


 

Apr 20, 2018

Author: Aaron Lessen, MD

Educational Pearls:

 

  • Shockable rhythms like V-fib or V-tach have a better prognosis than patients with PEA or asystole.
  • Recent study has shown an initial electrical frequency in PEA between 10-24/min had worse outcomes than PEA with initial rhythm over 60/min.
  • Patients with an initial electrical frequency in PEA over 60/min did just as well as patients with shockable rhythms. Of them, there was a 22% survival rate with 15% having a good neurologic outcome.

 

References:

Weiser, C., et al. (2018). Initial electrical frequency predicts survival and neurological outcome in out of hospital cardiac arrest patients with pulseless electrical activity. Resuscitation. 125:34-38