Question

You are transporting a patient who is experiencing frequent discharges of her automatic implanted cardiac defibrillator (AICD). En route to the hospital you are caring for the patient in the back of the ambulance. To protect yourself from being shocked if the defibrillator discharges, you should:

A. make sure you do not touch the patient directly.
B. not worry, since the defibrillator does not pose a danger to others.
C. wear protective gloves that cannot conduct electricity.
D. limit direct contact with the patient.

Answer 1

You should not be concerned about being shocked by a patient's automatic implanted cardiac defibrillator since it is designed to deliver a localized shock that does not pose a danger to others in contact with the patient. the correct optiois

Step-by-step explanation:

To ensure your safety when a patient's automatic implanted cardiac defibrillator (AICD) discharges, you should not worry, since the AICD does not pose a danger to others. The electrical shock administered by an AICD is very localized to the patient's heart and cannot significantly affect someone in direct contact with the patient, such as medical personnel during transport.

Both Automated External Defibrillators (AED) and AICDs deliver controlled electrical shocks to correct life-threatening arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation, but they are designed to do so without posing a risk to bystanders. Healthcare professionals often utilize protective equipment such as gloves during patient care, although these are primarily for hygiene purposes and not specifically to insulate from an AICD discharge.