Final answer:
A biphasic AED adjusts the amount of energy used based on the patient's impedance, customizing the shock to patient-specific needs. These defibrillators are equipped with technology to analyze heart rhythms and deliver appropriate energy levels, ensuring effective treatment for cardiac emergencies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of defibrillator that adjusts the amount of energy used based on the patient's impedance is a biphasic AED (Automated External Defibrillator). Biphasic AEDs are advanced enough to analyze a patient's heart rhythm and adjust the electrical energy delivered during defibrillation. This customization helps ensure that the energy is appropriate to the patient's specific needs. Biphasic waveforms can adapt to the patient's impedance which may vary due to several factors, including size, chest wall thickness, and underlying pathology. Defibrillators are critical in the battle against sudden cardiac arrest, delivering a lifesaving dose of electric energy to the heart to resolve arrhythmias like ventricular fibrillation. Modern AEDs, including biphasic models, are designed for use by the public and are commonly found in many areas such as schools, airports, and shopping centers. These devices typically provide voice-guided instructions to assist the user in providing effective treatment. Capacitors in the AED store the energy that is then delivered to the patient in controlled amounts.