Use of a Defibrillator

TRUE: Chest compressions and rescue breaths helps to buy the victim some time, but in the vast majority of cases, the heart needs to restart, and to achieve this, the defibrillator is needed.

TRUE: It is preferable that people are trained in how to use a defibrillator quickly and safely.

FALSE: You need to apply the pads as soon as is possible.

FALSE: The pads must be placed on patient’s bare skin.

TRUE: If the skin is wet for any reason, even sweat, this must be dried off. Otherwise the shock will go across the wet skin instead of through the heart, and may not be effective.

TRUE. Putting on the pads can take many seconds. If you can work as a team then ongoing chest compressions and rescue breaths will continue to push oxygenated blood up to the brain.

FALSE: Nobody must touch the casualty whilst the defibrillator is assessing the rhythm.

FALSE: The defibrillator will deliver a shock only if it is appropriate.

TRUE: This is also how long each rescuer should be doing Basic Life Support, so use the time when it is analysing to swap positions. If a shock is advised, deliver the shock and then you have someone who has rested, to start Basic Life Support for the next two minutes.

TRUE: The defibrillator pads can cope with delivering many shocks. Do not be tempted to remove them.