Question

Asystole:

A. Is defined as the presence of chaotic cardiac activity
B. Procedures a complete cessation of cardiac output
C. Is the most common primary event in cardiac arrest in the adult
D. Appears as a chaotic line on the ECG monitor

Answer 1

Asystole is a cardiac arrest condition evidenced by a flatline on an ECG, representing a lack of heart electrical activity and cardiac output, and not chaotic activity or ventricular fibrillation, which is typically treated with defibrillation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Asystole is a term used to describe the absence of electrical activity in the heart, leading to the absence of cardiac output, or the movement of blood through the circulatory system. This condition is evident when an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor shows a flatline, indicating no electrical movement within the heart muscles.

It is not defined by chaotic cardiac activity, which would be characteristic of a different kind of arrhythmia such as ventricular fibrillation. Asystole is often seen in cardiac arrest patients, but it is not the most common primary event in adults, as that is often identified as ventricular fibrillation or sudden cardiac arrest due to other causes. During cardiac arrest, defibrillation is a common medical emergency treatment for arrhythmias like ventricular fibrillation, not asystole, where a strong electrical current is applied to restore a normal heart rhythm.