What heart rhythm is shockable with an AED?

The correct answer identifies that ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia are the heart rhythms that are shockable with an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Ventricular fibrillation is a chaotic electrical activity in the heart that causes it to quiver instead of pump effectively, thus not delivering any blood to the body. Defibrillation is necessary to restore a normal rhythm, and an AED is designed to detect this rhythm and administer a shock to reset the heart's electrical system.

Pulseless ventricular tachycardia also presents an opportunity for defibrillation because it is a rapid, ineffective heartbeat that fails to maintain blood flow and can lead to cardiac arrest. An AED can identify this rhythm and deliver a shock to attempt to restore a normal heart rhythm.

On the other hand, asystole reflects a complete absence of electrical activity in the heart, so it is not a shockable rhythm; no shock can reset something that is not electrically active. Atrial fibrillation, while disorganized, can still have a pulse, and while it is a serious condition, it does not respond to defibrillation in the same way as the shockable rhythms indicated. Sinus tachycardia is an increased heart rate that