Using an AED on a patient with an ICD??

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Can you use an AED on a patient with an ICD? I'm a nursing student and can't find info on this in any of my books. Need help from all you experienced nurses please!! Thank you in advance :bow:

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I was told to never use AED on a pt who has icd because: An ICD uses automatically shocks to help control life-threatening arrhythmias, especially those that can cause sudden cardiac arrest.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

Patients who have an ongoing arrhythmia when evaluated emergently should be managed according to advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) guidelines regardless of the presence of an ICD (Figure). Although in the vast majority of instances, ICD function will be found to be appropriate, this cannot be assumed. External shocks and antiarrhythmic medications should be administered per ACLS guidelines. Placement of electrodes for external shocks should avoid the area directly over the ICD because occasional damage to ICDs can occur. Caregivers should wear gloves during resuscitation; a shock may be perceptible to those in skin-to-skin contact with the patient at the time of an ICD shock but is not a health risk.

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