PoCUS Learning HubCardiac arrest
The focused questionCan cardiac arrest be confirmed or excluded using ultrasound ? What are the key ultrasound findings that help guide resuscitation efforts?
Teaching notes
Tips In patients with suspected cardiac arrest, performing a focused cardiac ultrasound can provide critical insights. Combining different cardiac views (subcostal, parasternal, apical), you can identify reversible causes, assess for mechanical activity, and guide the next steps in resuscitation.
These clips highlight a “still standing” heart, with only slight movements in the heart musculature. The subtle ventricular motion observed in these clips can be crucial for determining whether there is any meaningful cardiac activity or potential reversible causes, particularly while CPR is resumed.
In these cases, subcostal (SC) and parasternal long-axis (PLAX) windows are commonly used. The SC view allows the operator to assess the heart without interference from chest compressions or defibrillator pads, while the PLAX view provides an excellent perspective for evaluating cardiac activity, although it can be challenging to obtain during active compressions.