Why Is Defibrillation in the First Few Minutes of Cardiac

question 26

Multiple Choice

Why is defibrillation in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest so critical?

• A) If cardiac arrest is not treated within the first few minutes, ventricular fibrillation will convert to asystole, a non-shockable heart rhythm.
• B) Research has shown that a heart in cardiac arrest will continue to pump blood for a few minutes before cardiac output drops to zero.
• C) In the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, the blood pressure is still normal, but will drop quickly, making successful defibrillation less likely.
• D) In the first few minutes of cardiac arrest the heart is still warm, but begins to cool rapidly making it less receptive to a defibrillatory shock.