When all electrical activity of the heart ceases, this results in a pattern of asystole. Asystole is the final stage of the dying heart and manifests as a straight-line pattern (“flat line”). Asystole is a lethal arrhythmia that is often resistant to resuscitation efforts (see Figure 6.8).

Figure 6.8. Asystole

Asystole ECG

Characteristics of Asystole

1. Regularity: No electrical activity is demarcated by a straight line on an ECG.
2. Rate: No electrical activity is demarcated by a straight line on an ECG.
3. P Waves: No electrical activity is demarcated by a straight line on an ECG.
4. PR interval: No electrical activity is demarcated by a straight line on an ECG.
5. QRS: No electrical activity is demarcated by a straight line on an ECG.