2.3 AED Use and Safe Defibrillation
Key Takeaways
- Use the AED as soon as it is available, but keep compressions going until the AED needs analysis or shock delivery.
- Clear the patient before analysis and before shock delivery.
- After a shock, resume CPR immediately unless the device or team protocol directs otherwise.
- AED pads should not be placed over medication patches or implanted device bulges.
2.3 AED Use and Safe Defibrillation
AED questions test speed and safety. The candidate must attach pads quickly, follow prompts, clear the patient, deliver a shock if advised, and resume compressions without waiting to see if the patient wakes up.
Current official baseline
The adult BLS guidance covers recognition of cardiac arrest, emergency response activation, high-quality CPR, AED use, adult foreign-body airway obstruction, and opioid antagonist integration. Use the official AHA 2025 Adult Basic Life Support Guidelines page when your course materials or training-center instructions differ from third-party summaries: AHA 2025 Adult Basic Life Support Guidelines.
What you need to know
| Decision point | What to do |
|---|---|
| Attach pads | Expose and dry the chest. Place pads in the indicated positions and avoid patches, heavy hair interference, or implanted device bulges. |
| Analyze safely | No one should touch the patient during analysis. Movement can interfere with rhythm detection. |
| Shock safely | Visually and verbally clear the patient. Deliver the shock only when everyone is clear. |
| Resume CPR | After a shock, restart compressions immediately. Pulse checks occur at planned reassessment points, not after every shock by habit. |
How this shows up on BLS/ACLS questions
BLS and ACLS items usually test priority. Read the patient state first: age, pulse status, breathing status, rhythm, stability, and number of rescuers. Then choose the action that protects perfusion, oxygenation, defibrillation timing, or the correct algorithm branch. If an answer sounds advanced but delays CPR, shock delivery, ventilation, or an urgent stability intervention, it is usually a distractor.
Scenario anchor
An AED advises a shock. The correct sequence is clear the patient, press shock, immediately resume CPR, and prepare for the next analysis cycle.
Common traps
- Stopping compressions while someone slowly opens the AED case.
- Checking a pulse immediately after each shock.
- Touching the patient during AED analysis.
Study action
Write this section as a one-line rule in your own words, then test it with mixed questions from the BLS/ACLS practice bank. Do not review only the matching topic. Mix it with nearby branches so you can tell when the rule applies and when it does not. For example, compare respiratory arrest with a pulse against pulseless arrest, or compare unstable tachycardia against VF/pVT arrest. The exam rewards that discrimination more than memorizing isolated facts.
When performing CPR, the AHA recommends minimizing interruptions to chest compressions. What is the maximum recommended pause time for pulse checks or rhythm analysis?
A rescuer is performing rescue breathing on an adult with a pulse but no adequate breathing. What is the correct rate?