Basic Life Support (BLS) Practice Exam

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If a manual defibrillator is not available for an infant victim, what should you do?

Use a standard AED
Use an AED equipped with a pediatric dose attenuator
Wait for a manual defibrillator
Administer CPR until help arrives

The correct answer is: Use an AED equipped with a pediatric dose attenuator

In situations where a manual defibrillator is not available for an infant victim, using an AED equipped with a pediatric dose attenuator is the best course of action. This is due to the specific electrical needs of infants and small children. Pediatric dose attenuators are designed to modify the shock delivered by the AED to a level that is safe and appropriate for a child's smaller body size, minimizing the risk of harm. Standard AEDs may deliver shocks that are not suitable for infants, potentially causing more harm than good. Waiting for a manual defibrillator is not a viable option in an emergency situation, as delays in defibrillation can reduce the chances of survival. While administering CPR is crucial, it is most effective when paired with defibrillation as soon as possible in cases of certain cardiac arrest scenarios. Therefore, utilizing an AED with a pediatric dose attenuator aligns with best practices for providing emergency care to an infant in cardiac arrest.