Tag: Asystole

While earlier protocols included its use, the American Heart Association (AHA) removed atropine from its Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) guidelines for managing asystole and Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA) based on evidence showing no therapeutic benefit. Today, treatment focuses on high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and administering epinephrine.

The American Heart Association (AHA) removed routine atropine use from its Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) protocols for asystole and pulseless electrical activity (PEA) in the 2010 guideline updates, citing a lack of evidence of therapeutic benefit for these specific rhythms.

Asystole, or "flatlining," is the cessation of electrical and mechanical activity in the heart and has an extremely poor prognosis. For decades, the treatment of cardiac arrest, including asystole, has been guided by Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) protocols, and the use of medications has evolved over time. While the focus has narrowed, the question of what are the only two medications that can be given during asystole has a historical context worth exploring.