PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Rex Kinnear-Mellor
AU  - K Newton
AU  - T Woolley
AU  - R Rickard
TI  - Predictive utility of cardiac ultrasound in traumatic cardiac arrest in a combat casualty
AID  - 10.1136/jramc-2014-000358
DP  - 2016 Feb 01
TA  - Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps
PG  - 68--70
VI  - 162
IP  - 1
4099  - http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/162/1/68.short
4100  - http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/162/1/68.full
SO  - J R Army Med Corps2016 Feb 01; 162
AB  - We report a case of traumatic cardiac arrest in a combat casualty who was resuscitated to return of spontaneous circulation despite asystole and no visible cardiac activity on initial ultrasound examination. This return of spontaneous circulation suggests that survival may be possible in traumatic cardiac arrest due to exsanguination, even when there is no demonstrable cardiac activity on ultrasound. Cardiac ultrasonography was performed for 10 s only. We suggest that cardiac ultrasonography should be performed for a minimum of 1 min during volume resuscitation. If absence of cardiac activity is confirmed once the heart is full, and there are no other signs of life (including pupillary reaction), then termination of resuscitation should be considered.