Pulseless Ventricular Tachycardia deteriorates to?

• A. Ventricular Fibrillation
• B. Asystole
• C. Pulseless Electrical Activity
• D. Normal sinus rhythm

Answer: (A)

When a heart rate is a rapid, uncoordinated rhythm without a pulse, it’s a shockable situation. If this pulseless ventricular tachycardia worsens, the organized ventricular activity often becomes chaotic, so the rhythm degenerates into ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular fibrillation is a no-pulse, highly disorganized rhythm that requires immediate defibrillation and high-quality CPR. The other states—asystole (no electrical activity), pulseless electrical activity (electrical activity present but no pulse), or a return to normal sinus rhythm—aren’t the typical immediate deterioration path from a pulseless tachycardia rhythm.