Why is it important to have proper pad placement with an AED?

Proper pad placement on a patient's chest when using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is crucial to ensure effective shock delivery. The pads must be positioned correctly to facilitate optimal electrical conduction through the heart. This enables the AED to detect the heart's rhythm accurately and deliver a shock that can interrupt lethal arrhythmias, such as ventricular fibrillation, allowing the heart to re-establish a normal rhythm.

When pads are not placed correctly, the path of the electrical current may not extend through the heart adequately, potentially reducing the shock's effectiveness or failing to restore a normal rhythm altogether. Thus, the placement of the pads directly affects the success of the defibrillation process, underscoring the importance of following the recommended placement guidelines for maximizing the chances of survival in a cardiac arrest situation.