Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Defibrillation is a critical intervention in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) specifically aimed at restoring a normal heart rhythm when the patient presents with certain life-threatening arrhythmias, known as shockable rhythms. These rhythms typically include ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT). By delivering a controlled electrical shock to the heart, defibrillation can interrupt the chaotic electrical activity that characterizes these rhythms and enable the heart to re-establish an effective and organized electrical pattern.

When a patient is in a state of VF or pulseless VT, the heart fails to pump effectively, which can lead to the cessation of blood flow to vital organs. Therefore, the primary purpose of defibrillation is to restore a coordinated heartbeat and reactive circulation, allowing the heart to resume its role in pumping blood and supplying oxygen to the body's tissues.

The other options provided do not align with the primary goals of defibrillation. Fluids are typically administered to manage various medical conditions but are not the focus of defibrillation. Similarly, while increasing heart rate may be necessary in other contexts, defibrillation specifically addresses disorganized rhythms rather than directly increasing heart rate. Lastly, decreasing blood circulation is counterproductive and not