You are an emergency-department nurse caring for a patient who has gone into cardiac arrest. You are performing external defibrillation. Which of the following is a vital step in the procedure?
A) Gel pads are placed anterior over the apex and posterior for better conduction
B) No one is to be touching the patient at the time shock is delivered
C) Continue to ventilate the patient via endotracheal tube during the procedure
D) Second shock cannot be administered for 1 minute to allow recharging
Ans: B
Feedback: In external defibrillation, both paddles may be placed on the front of the chest, which is the standard paddle placement. Whether using pads, or paddles, the nurse must observe two safety measures. First, maintain good contact between the pads or paddles and the patient's skin to prevent leaking. Second, ensure that no one is in contact with the patient or with anything that is touching the patient when the defibrillator is discharged, to minimize the chance that electrical current will be conducted to anyone other than the patient. Ventilation should be stopped during defibrillation.
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