PEA stands for which clinical finding?

• A. Pulseless Electrical Activity
• B. Pulmonary Embolus
• C. Pericardial Effusion
• D. Pulmonary Edema

Answer: (A)

Pulseless Electrical Activity is a cardiac arrest finding where there is electrical activity on monitoring (ECG) but no palpable pulse or measurable cardiac output. That mismatch between an active electrical signal and absent mechanical function is what the acronym PEA describes, making it the correct interpretation of the term. It isn’t a disease name like the other options; those are specific conditions (a blood clot in the lungs, fluid around the heart, or fluid in the lungs) rather than the electrical-mechanical state the acronym denotes. In practice, PEA is treated with high-quality CPR and rapid assessment of reversible causes (the Hs and Ts), because the heart’s electrical system is firing but the heart isn’t effectively pumping. This differs from true asystole (no electrical activity) and from shockable rhythms like ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, where defibrillation is indicated.