Final answer:
AEDs play a critical role in emergency treatment of ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia by delivering a large electrical charge to reset the heart's rhythm.
Step-by-step explanation:
External Automated Defibrillators (AEDs) are crucial in treating life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT). During VF or VT, the heart beats in an uncontrolled manner, which is a medical emergency often referred to as "code blue."
In these cases, defibrillation is necessary to deliver a large electrical charge briefly to the heart via paddles or electrodes, with the goal of restarting the heart with a normal rhythm. Despite the significance of AEDs in saving lives, they have to be used with caution due to the risk of myocardial injury. This injury is directly related to the amount of energy applied during defibrillation.