Treatment FAQ

what drug is first line treatment for pea

by Willis Gottlieb MD Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

When treating PEA, epinephrine can be given as soon as possible but its administration should not delay the initiation or continuation of CPR. High-quality CPR should be administered while giving epinephrine, and after the initial dose, epinephrine is given every 3-5 minutes.

What medications are used in pea?

Medications used in PEA. Vasopressors. A vasopressor is a medication that produces vasoconstriction and a rise in blood pressure. The vasopressor that is used for the treatment within the right branch of the Cardiac Arrest Algorithm is epinephrine.

What is pea and how is it treated?

PEA is a disease process with multiple etiologies, and effective treatment likely includes reversing the cause of cardiac arrest. 7 Understanding the potential pulseless electrical activity causes and treatments will enable providers to give the best possible care in a situation that statistically does not have positive outcomes.

How often should epinephrine be given to a patient with pea?

Vasopressors. When treating PEA, epinephrine can be given as soon as possible but its administration should not delay the initiation or continuation of CPR. High-quality CPR should be administered while giving epinephrine, and after the initial dose, epinephrine is given every 3-5 minutes.

What is pea cardiac arrest algorithm?

PEA along with asystole make up half of the Cardiac Arrest Algorithm with VF and VT consisting of the other half. Patients with PEA usually have poor outcomes. Positive outcome of an attempted resuscitation depends primarily on two actions: 1. Providing effective CPR; and 2. Identification and correction of the cause of PEA.

image

What drug is given first for PEA?

Epinephrine should be administered in 1-mg doses intravenously/intraosseously (IV/IO) every 3-5 minutes during pulseless electrical activity (PEA) arrest.

Which drug is considered first line treatment for asystole or PEA?

The only two drugs recommended or acceptable by the American Heart Association (AHA) for adults in asystole are epinephrine and vasopressin. Atropine is no longer recommended for young children and infants since 2005, and for adults since 2010 for pulseless electrical activity (PEA) and asystole.

What is the first line treatment for ventricular fibrillation?

If the patient remains in ventricular fibrillation, pharmacological treatment should begin. Epinephrine is the first drug given and may be repeated every 3 to 5 minutes. If epinephrine is not effective, the next medication in the algorithm is amiodarone 300 mg.

What is the treatment for pulseless electrical activity?

Treatment / Management The first step in managing pulseless electrical activity is to begin chest compressions according to the advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) protocol followed by administrating epinephrine every 3 to 5 minutes, while simultaneously looking for any reversible causes.

Do you give atropine for PEA?

Atropine is inexpensive, easy to administer, and has few side effects and therefore can be considered for asystole or PEA. The recommended dose of atropine for cardiac arrest is 1 mg IV, which can be repeated every 3 to 5 minutes (maximum total of 3 doses or 3 mg) if asystole persists (Class Indeterminate).

What drugs are used in PEA?

Medication Summary Inotropic, anticholinergic, and alkalinizing agents are used in the treatment of pulseless electrical activity (PEA). As previously stated, resuscitative pharmacology includes epinephrine and atropine.

When is amiodarone given?

For cardiac arrest, amiodarone is used after the third shock for ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia that is unresponsive to shock delivery, CPR, and vasopressors. For tachycardia with a pulse, amiodarone may be considered, and expert consultation should be obtained prior to its use.

What is the gold standard treatment for pulseless ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation?

Treatment / Management Medical treatment of pulseless VT usually is carried out along with defibrillation and includes intravenous vasopressors and antiarrhythmic drugs. 1 mg of epinephrine IV should be given every 3 to 5 minutes. Epinephrine can be replaced by vasopressin given 40 units IV once.

When is atropine preferred over epinephrine?

Note: If dealing with primary bradycardia (defined above), atropine is preferred as the first-choice treatment of symptomatic AV block. If dealing with secondary bradycardia, atropine is not indicated for the treatment of AV block, and epinephrine should be used.

Do you defib PEA?

Ts. Rhythms that are not amenable to shock include pulseless electrical activity (PEA) and asystole. In these cases, identifying primary causation, performing good CPR, and administering epinephrine are the only tools you have to resuscitate the patient.

What is the correct treatment protocol for asystole?

When treating asystole, epinephrine can be given as soon as possible but its administration should not delay initiation or continuation of CPR. After the initial dose, epinephrine is given every 3-5 minutes. Rhythm checks should be performed after 2 minutes (5 cycles) of CPR.

How Common Is PEA Arrest?

PEA arrests are a surprisingly common occurrence in the hospital setting.

How It Happens: Understanding the Dying Process

In order to understand how to save a life during a cardiac arrest, you need to take a look at the dying process. This begins with the loss of function of a vital organ, e.g., brain, heart, or lungs. If professionals cannot restore this organ, it causes other organ failures.

What Are The Reversible Causes of Cardiac Arrest (H and T)?

Experts break down the reversible causes of cardiac arrest into two primary categories, conveniently called H and T, or H’s & T’s. Any of the H and T may lead to a PEA. The H’s are:

How Is PEA Treated?

If the PEA arrest is among the H and T, then it may be reversible. But you must treat the cause of the PEA arrest to reverse the state and obtain a shockable rhythm.

What Are Shockable vs. Non-shockable Rhythms?

A shockable rhythm is one caused by abnormalities in the electrical conduction in the heart. These include:

What Happens If You Shock PEA? Why not shock a PEA Arrest?

In a PEA arrest, similar to Asystole, the heart doesn’t have the means to use the shock you’re sending it because the primary cause has yet to be corrected.

Can You Survive PEA?

Yes, you or your patient can survive PEA if you eliminate the primary cause of the PEA arrest to return the heart to a shockable rhythm. Then resume actions according to the ACLS cardiac arrest algorithm.

What antibiotics are used for UTI?

Other antibiotics used to treat UTI include: 1 Beta-lactams, including penicillins and cephalosporins ( amoxicillin, Augmentin, Keflex, Duricef, Ceftin, Lorabid, Rocephin, Cephalexin, Suprax and others). Many organisms have shown resistance to some of these drugs. 2 Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole combination antibiotic (Bactrim DS and Septra DS). Many organisms have shown resistance to some of these drugs. 3 Fluoroquinolones ( Cipro, Levaquin and Floxin). The risk of antibiotic resistance to this is developing. These should not be given to pregnant women or children. 4 Tetracyclines (Sumycin, Vibramycin or Minocin) are used for Mycoplasma or Chlamydia infections. These should not be given to pregnant women or children. 5 Aminoglycosides (gentamicin, amikacin and tobramycin) are usually used in combination with other antibiotics to treat severe UTIs. 6 Macrolides ( clarithromycin, azithromycin and erythromycin) are often used to treat urinary problems caused by sexually transmitted diseases. 7 Fosfomycin ( Monurol) is a synthetic phosphonic acid derivative and used for acute cystitis but not for more complicated UTIs.

How much is Cefdinir?

Cefdinir (Omnicef) 300 mg twice daily for 10 days. $40 ($119) Cefpodoxime. 100 mg twice daily for 7 days. $71 (NA) Since there is a lower chance of antibiotic resistancewith nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin as compared to other classes of antibiotics, they are often used as first-line antibiotics for the treatment of UTI.

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9