If there is not enough room on the chest for pads, where should you place the pads?

• A. On the head
• B. On the stomach
• C. On the chest and back
• D. One on chest and one on back

Answer: (D)

Defibrillation needs to send current through the heart, so the pads must create a path that spans the chest. When there isn’t enough room on the chest for both pads, one pad on the chest and the other on the back achieves an anterior-posterior configuration. This placement allows the energy to travel from front to back through the heart even with limited chest space. Place the chest pad in a typical upper-right/near-clavicle area and the back pad between the shoulder blades, ensuring they don’t touch each other and the skin is dry.