What term denotes the state of no cardiac activity?

• A. Hypotension
• B. Cardiac arrest
• C. Asystole
• D. Endocarditis

Answer: (C)

Asystole is the absence of electrical activity in the heart, which means there is no mechanical contraction and no cardiac output. On an ECG it appears as a flat line, and clinically there is no pulse and no effective blood flow. This describes a state where the heart isn’t generating activity at all, distinguishing it from other arrest scenarios that may still show electrical activity.

Hypotension is simply low blood pressure and can accompany many conditions; it does not indicate that the heart has stopped functioning entirely. Endocarditis is an infection of the heart’s inner lining or valves and does not describe the heart’s activity level. Cardiac arrest refers to the cessation of effective circulation, but asystole specifically denotes no electrical activity, making it the precise term for the stated condition.