Question

You are providing high-quality CPR on a 6-year-old patient who weighs 44 pounds. The AED arrives. It does not have a pediatric setting and includes only adult AED pads. What should you do?

-Use only one adult AED pad.
-Use the adult AED pads.
-Use adult pads but cut them to make them smaller.
-Do not use the AED until child pads are available.

Answer 1

In a cardiac emergency with no pediatric AED pads available, it is appropriate to use adult AED pads for a child, positioning one on the chest and the other on the back, and continue delivering CPR until the AED is ready to use.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the scenario provided, where a 6-year-old child weighing 44 pounds is in need of defibrillation and no pediatric pads are available, it is recommended to use the adult AED pads. Position one pad on the child's chest and the other pad on the child's back to ensure that the electrical current passes through the heart properly. Do not attempt to cut the pads or wait for pediatric pads as time is critical in a cardiac emergency. Continue to provide CPR as instructed by the AED until the device is ready to deliver a shock, if advised.