Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
The murder of George Floyd
The Associated Press

Explainer: Doctor’s testimony details Floyd’s heart activity

A man testifies in court.
Dr. Bradford W. Langenfeld testifies in the trial of Derek Chauvin on Monday. He worked at HCMC last year. After resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, he pronounced George Floyd dead on the evening of May 25, 2020.
Screenshot of Court TV video file

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

George Floyd had “pulseless electrical activity” and his heart wasn’t beating when he arrived at a Minneapolis hospital, a doctor testified Monday.

Dr. Bradford Langenfeld was on duty at Hennepin County Medical Center the night Floyd was brought in after being restrained by police last May, and testified Monday at the trial of one of the officers.

Here’s what Langenfeld saw and what it means:

What is pulseless electrical activity?

It means that some feeble or disorganized electrical activity can be detected on a heart monitor but it’s not enough to make the heart beat and supply blood and oxygen to the rest of the body.

What else did the doctor see?

Floyd had no pulse when he arrived and was in cardiac arrest, which Langenfeld described as the “sudden cessation of blood flow to all the tissues of the body when the heart stops pumping.” The doctor described looking for possible explanations and theorized that hypoxia, or insufficient oxygen, was one of the top possibilities.

Doctors measured gases in Floyd's blood and saw extremely high carbon dioxide levels, again suggesting lack of sufficient oxygen.

What treatments were given?

Floyd was given some medicines that sometimes can help restore circulation, but that did not help. Defibrillators to shock a heart back into normal rhythm do not work in a situation like Floyd’s. A narcotics antidote such as Narcan also does not help once someone is in cardiac arrest, Langenfeld said.

When did the doctor pronounce him dead?

Floyd had been in cardiac arrest before arriving at the hospital and doctors worked on him for roughly half an hour after his arrival. After his heart activity stopped altogether — “flatlining” Langenfeld called it — the doctor pronounced him dead.

The county medical examiner ruled Floyd's death a homicide and said he died of “cardiopulmonary arrest, complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.”