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[–] 20 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

PEA: pulseless electrical activity. But, when reading the article, it sounds like his body may have gone into hypovolemic shock. Long story short: When the body goes into systemic shock, it will vasoconstrict to pull all the blood to the vital organs, so your heart could still be beating but not have the pressure/volume to be able to detect a pulse.

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  • [–] 37 points 3 months ago* (21 children)

    How can you have a heartbeat but no pulse? Aren't those the same thing? 🤨

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  • [–] 32 points 3 months ago (7 children)

    Electrical current firing in the heart can be picked up by EKG, but if there is no blood left in the tube you have no blood pressure.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago (6 children)

    Wouldn't it run out of oxygen?

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  • [–] 7 points 3 months ago (4 children)

    Eventually, but it's a muscle. Salt applied to freshly butchered meat will spasm because it's still muscles with sugars left to burn.

    Same thing like if someone gets decapitated. The heart might still pump for a while and shoot blood out everywhere. Doesn't mean the person of still alive.

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  • [–] 11 points 3 months ago (8 children)

    If you cut out the heart it will beat for quite some time after death

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  • [–] 0 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    I am doubtful of that but I haven't ripped enough hearts out of people to know for sure.

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  • [–] 10 points 3 months ago (2 children)