Traumatic circulatory arrest

In pulseless trauma patients (PEA or asystole), the term "traumatic circulatory arrest" is preferred over "cardiac arrest" because the source of the problem is usually hypovolemia, tension pneumothorax, massive cardiac injury, pericardial tamponade, severe brain trauma, airway obstruction, or great rupture rather than a primary cardiac event such as infarction or a lethal dysrhythmia.