Final answer:
Defibrillation is appropriate for Pulseless ventricular tachycardia (pVT) and Ventricular fibrillation (VF) in a child experiencing cardiac arrest. It is not suitable for Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), Asystole, or Pulseless electrical activity (PEA). Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can diagnose and treat dangerous rhythms like VF and pVT to restore normal heart function.
Step-by-step explanation:
A PALS resuscitation team would find it appropriate to use defibrillation in a child experiencing cardiac arrest for the following rhythms:
- B. Pulseless ventricular tachycardia (pVT) is a critical and life-threatening condition where the ventricles of the heart beat very rapidly and are unable to effectively pump blood throughout the body, necessitating immediate defibrillation.
- D. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is an emergency situation in which the heart's electrical activity becomes disordered and the heart chambers quiver ineffectively instead of pumping normally. This is the most common scenario where defibrillation is applied and is vital for trying to restore a normal rhythm.
Defibrillation would not be appropriate for the rhythms of A. Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), C. Asystole, or E. Pulseless electrical activity (PEA) as these conditions either are not typically immediately life-threatening or are not amenable to shock therapy (asystole and PEA).
Defibrillators deliver a large shock of electrical energy to the chest via paddles or adhesive pads, with the aim to terminate the irregular heartbeat and allow the natural cardiac pacemaker to resume a regular pattern. Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are sophisticated devices that can diagnose a patient's heart rhythm and apply the necessary shock, often with verbal prompts for nonmedical responders in public places. In instances of ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, defibrillation is the most effective treatment to save a life.