Trauma Code/Order of Interventions

[MackTheKnife]

AED is not indicated at first because the reason people arrest form trauma is due to blood loss (hypovolemic shock). When the heart doesn't have enough blood volume it goes crazy and we get PEA (Pulseless electrical activity). The person could still be in a normal sinus rhythm but have no pulse due to loss of volume in the circulatory system. The AED won't shock unless its VT of VF. Eventually however, the hypovolemic shock will cause the heart to go in to VF or VT and then its AED time.

I remember when PEA was called EMD- ElectroMechanical Dissociation.

 

[mycrofft]

second EMD.

Churchill said if you're going to kill a man it costs nothing to be polite.
Ditto AED.