Cardiology Lectures video 03

Published: 367 days ago

Category: Cardiology, USMLE, USMLE Step 2, USMLE Step2 Kaplan Cardiology Lectures, USMLE Step2 Kaplan surgery Lectures

Description:

Cardiac arrest refers to the cessation of normal systemic circulation due to failure in proper contraction of the heart. There are several conditions that can cause cardiac arrest. Asystole (“flatline”) Asystole refers to the absence of electrical activity of the heart and is sometimes referred to as a “flatline” because the electrocardiogram shows a solid line due to the absence of electrical activity. Pulseless electrical activity (PEA) Pulseless electrical activity is when the electrocardiogram shows a rhythm that should produce a pulse but it does not. PEA is commonly caused by the 6 H’s and 6 T’s (see PEA article). Pulseless ventricular tachycardia Pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT) Is one classification of VT such that no pulse is felt because of an ineffective cardiac output which causes cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac death Sudden cardiac death is a concept of natural death rather than a specific medical condition. There are several causes of sudden cardiac death and it is distinct from cardiac arrest. Ventricular fibrillation Ventricular fibrillation is fibrillation of the ventricles of the heart. Rhythmic contraction is necessary for efficient movement of blood and fibrillation disrupts this rhythm sufficiently to cause cardiac arrest. Treatment of cardiac arrest includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation depending on the exact cause of cardiac arrest.