What is defibrillation?

Defibrillation is defined as a medical treatment specifically designed to restore a normal heartbeat in individuals experiencing certain life-threatening cardiac conditions, such as ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. This procedure involves the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) or other types of defibrillators that deliver an electric shock to the heart, allowing it to re-establish an effective rhythm.

The purpose of defibrillation is to interrupt the chaotic electrical activity of the heart and provide it with a chance to regain a normal rhythm, thus potentially saving a person's life in critical situations. Understanding the significance of this procedure is essential for lifesaving interventions in emergencies where a person has lost consciousness due to cardiac arrest.

Other choices reflect mistakes in context: measuring heart rate is a different assessment entirely, CPR is a series of actions taken to maintain blood flow and breathing but does not involve electrical intervention, and monitoring blood pressure falls under routine medical assessments unrelated to immediate cardiac emergency treatment.