Pulseless electrical activity: A misdiagnosed entity during asphyxia in newborn infants?

Abstract

Background The 2015 neonatal resuscitation guidelines added ECG as a recommended method of assessment of an infant's heart rate (HR) when determining the need for resuscitation at birth. However, a recent case report raised concerns about this technique in the delivery room. Objectives To compare accuracy of ECG with auscultation to assess asystole in asphyxiated piglets. Methods Neonatal piglets had the right common carotid artery exposed and enclosed with a real-time ultrasonic flow probe and HR was continuously measured and recorded using ECG. This set-up allowed simultaneous monitoring of HR via ECG and carotid blood flow (CBF). The piglets were exposed to 30 min normocapnic alveolar hyp..