Ventricular asystole

Ventricular asystole

Ventricular asystole is manifested as total absence of electrical activity on the electrocardiogram and the person is in cardiac arrest. It is fatal unless immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation is instituted and a stable rhythm obtained. It is worth remembering that occasionally fine ventricular fibrillation may appear like asystole on a single monitoring lead because the axis of the fibrillation is perpendicular to the lead being monitored. But this is very rare and immediate initiation of CPR is needed whenever ventricular fibrillation or asystole is suspected.