Asystole

This is part of: Sinus node rhythms and arrhythmias

During asystole there is no cardiac activity. When prolonged this results in immediate death. Again, asystole is a very unlikely diagnosis in a concious patient and a technical error should be checked first (loose wire, very low gain). Although often called a 'flatliner', the baseline in asystole is often shifting up and down a little and in fact if it isn't (and looks like it is often depicted in movies) a loose wire is the most likely cause.