Pulseless electrical activity in a pediatric patient: a case report and review of causative factors and treatment

Pulseless electrical activity, an arrhythmia that leads to cardiac arrest, is defined as the presence of organized electrical activity without a palpable pulse or arterial blood pressure. When this arrhythmia presents during anesthesia, it has become routine practice to initiate advanced cardiac life support according to the American Heart Association guidelines. This arrhythmia is usually associated with a poor prognosis unless a reversible cause is investigated and treated immediately. The purpose of this article is to summarize the causative factors of pulseless electrical activity and its treatment modalities. This case report describes the successful resuscitation of a pediatric patient who presented with pulseless electrical activity during anesthesia for a rigid bronchoscopy.