An AED indicates that “no shock is advised.” Which of the following is most appropriate to do next?

An AED indicates that “no shock is advised.” Which of the following is most appropriate to do next?

A. A Perform CPR for about 2 minutes.

B. Monitor the victim’s airway and breathing.

C. Readjust the pad placement on the victim.

D. Turn off the AED for 5 seconds and try again.

Answer: A. A Perform CPR for about 2 minutes.

AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator; in an instance that the AED has written “no shock is advised” this simply means that the AED did not find a shockable rhythm in the victim’s heart. But this does not imply that the person does not require attention at that same time. Thus, the next favourable action in this case is to perform 1 minute and 30 seconds of CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

The technique of CPR helps to ensure sufficient blood circulation in the body, mainly in organs such as the brain, in case the heart cannot do it properly. What you’re doing here is pumping the chest cavity where fresh blood with oxygen is actively being pumped by the heart. This can be useful in avoiding the worsening of the situation and possibly increasing the likelihood of the victim’s survival until assistance from a higher level of healthcare is received.

The basic emergency protocol of CPR comprises cycles that are executed for 2 minutes in many cases. Ensures that a sufficient number of compressions and breaths are delivered to the patient before one interrogates his or her condition. Subsequently, you would check for signs of life and let the AED review the heart rhythm for a certain period. This cycle of CPR and AED analysis goes on until help from the professionals arrives or, the patient begins to regain consciousness.

For instance, suppose you are walking in a shopping mall; you find a person has fallen. You apply the AED, and the message displayed is “No shock advised.” You should start chest compressions, 30 of them, then 2 breaths, and continue in that manner for approximately 2 minutes. You would then pause and let the AED scan the rhythm again for the next 2 minutes and then adhere to its further instructions.

However, it can be placed that albeit deriving from the means and appearing rational enough as options B, C and D, they’re not as efficient as the proper early reactions in this case. As usual, when a shock is not recommended the best approach is constant and high-quality chest compressions as they are the only activity that can effectively help to maintain the patient’s circulation until some other action is taken.