An Automated External Defibrillator is used to restore normal heart rhythm following what event?

• A. Cardiac arrest
• B. Myocardial infarction
• C. Hypertension crisis
• D. Bradycardia

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that an AED is used when the heart has stopped pumping effectively, known as cardiac arrest. In cardiac arrest, the heart’s rhythm is typically chaotic (like ventricular fibrillation), and a timed shock from the AED can reset the electrical activity to a normal rhythm, helping restore circulation. Myocardial infarction, or a heart attack, is a blockage that can lead to arrest but isn’t the event the AED treats directly. Hypertension crisis and bradycardia involve high blood pressure and a slow heart rate, respectively, and aren’t conditions an AED uses to restore rhythm unless a true cardiac arrest is present. So the device is used to restore a normal rhythm after cardiac arrest.