Final answer:
An AED automatically diagnoses a heart rhythm and applies a shock if needed, tailored for a child with child pads. CPR should precede its use. These devices are available in public places and ambulances for layperson use during cardiac emergencies.
Step-by-step explanation:
When child pads are attached to an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), the device automatically diagnoses the patient's heart rhythm and determines if a shock is necessary. If a shock is required, the AED delivers it with appropriate energy and waveform, especially calibrated for children to terminate an arrhythmia like ventricular fibrillation, and allow the body's natural pacemaker to resume its normal rhythm. Prior to using an AED, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is recommended in many cases to improve the chances of survival and recovery.
Defibrillators and AEDs are common in ambulances and many public places, designed for use by lay persons, and are equipped with features to safely deliver a lifesaving shock during a cardiac emergency. Very large currents from the AED cause the heart and diaphragm to contract during the shock, momentarily stopping both heart and breathing, which can help reset the heart's electrical activity to normal.