Question

You're about to apply AED pads to a patients chest and you notice they have a IMPLANTABLE (pacemaker) cardioverter defibrillator. Which of the following would you do?

a. avoid placing the pads directly over the implantable device
b. Place them as you normally would
c. place one pad in the center of the chest, one in the middle of the back
d. theres no need to use an AED because of the implantable defibrillator

Answer 1

When applying AED pads and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator is present, pads should not be placed directly over the device. The pads should be placed in a modified position to the standard front placement to ensure the effectiveness of the AED and safety of the implant.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you're about to apply AED pads to a patient's chest and you notice they have an implantable (pacemaker) cardioverter defibrillator, you should avoid placing the pads directly over the implantable device.

Option (a), which is to avoid placing the pads directly over the device, is the recommended course of action. Placing the pads as you normally would without considering the implantable device could interfere with its function and potentially cause harm to the patient. The AED pads should be placed in a modified position to ensure proper function of both the AED and the implanted device — one pad should be placed below the right clavicle and the other on the left side of the chest, to the left of the nipple line and below the armpit, to ensure they are not directly over the implanted device. CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) should be continued as recommended.