The cardiac monitor alarm alerts the critical care nurse that the patient is showing no cardiac rhythm on the monitor

Question

When the nurse assesses the patient, she determines that the patient is experiencing cardiac arrest. In providing cardiac resuscitation documentation, how will the nurse describe this initial absence of cardiac rhythm?
A) Pulseless electrical activity (PEA)
B) Ventricular fibrillation
C) Ventricular tachycardia
D) Asystole

Answer 1

Ans: D
Feedback: Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart ceases to produce an effective pulse and circulate blood. It may be caused by a cardiac electrical event such as ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, profound bradycardia, or when there is no heart rhythm at all (asystole). Cardiac arrest may also occur when electrical activity is present but there is ineffective cardiac contraction or circulating volume, which is pulseless electrical activity (PEA). Asystole is the only condition that involves the absence of a heart rhythm.