Vasopressin should only be given after the first dose of epinephrine in the asystole pathway of the adult cardiac arrest algorithm.

Vasopressin should only be given after the first dose of epinephrine in the asystole pathway of the adult cardiac arrest algorithm.

• A. True
• B. False - combined use of vasopressin and epinephrine is no longer recommended and vasopressin has been removed from the Adult Cardiac Arrest Algorithm 2015 Update
• C. It should be used before epinephrine
• D. It is never used

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that vasopressor use in the adult cardiac arrest algorithm changed in the 2015 update: vasopressin is no longer part of the algorithm, and combining it with epinephrine is not recommended. In asystole, the focus is on high-quality CPR and epinephrine administration at 3–5 minute intervals; defibrillation is not used for non-shockable rhythms. Because vasopressin has been removed from the adult protocol, there is no recommended step to give it after epinephrine or at any point in this pathway. That’s why the statement is not correct.

The main idea is that vasopressor use in the adult cardiac arrest algorithm changed in the 2015 update: vasopressin is no longer part of the algorithm, and combining it with epinephrine is not recommended. In asystole, the focus is on high-quality CPR and epinephrine administration at 3–5 minute intervals; defibrillation is not used for non-shockable rhythms. Because vasopressin has been removed from the adult protocol, there is no recommended step to give it after epinephrine or at any point in this pathway. That’s why the statement is not correct.