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ECG (Cardio) Flatline

Causes:

Asystole or ECG flat line occurs when the heart's electrical and mechanical activity stop. It also results from other causes such as hypoxia, hypothermia, hypovolemia, toxins, pulmonary and coronary thrombosis.

ECG flat line also occurs when the electrocardiographic (ECG) leads or recording electrodes are placed incorrectly.

Diagnosis:

Asystole is diagnosed when a person, who is in cardiac arrest (heart stops beating), is:


 * 1) not responsive to stimuli
 * 2) without breathing or a palpable pulse

EEG (Neuro) Flat line

Definition:

A neurological flat line is referred to as brain death. It can be identified using an EEG (electroencephalogram) test.

Causes:

EEG flat line or brain death can result from a head injury that leads to brain damage and bleeding. Brain death also results from a lack of blood flow to the brain because the heart stops beating (cardiac arrest), which is when the ECG imaging shows a cardiac flat line (asystole).

Diagnosis:

Brain death is diagnosed if a person is experiencing all the following conditions:


 * 1) in a coma and not responsive to painful stimuli,
 * 2) unable to breathe without mechanical ventilation for 10 minutes with an increased blood carbon dioxide level,
 * 3) and unresponsive to light (no pupil reflex) and throat suctioning (no gag reflex).

The electroencephalogram (EEG) is used to record brain activity and shows a neurological flat line if the brain is dead. A person is declared dead when brain death has been confirmed.