Which statement describes an anteroposterior AED pad placement?

Which statement describes an anteroposterior AED pad placement?

• A. Place both pads on the front of the chest
• B. Place one pad on the left side of the chest and the other on the right shoulder
• C. Place one pad on the back and one on the chest at midline
• D. Anteroposterior placement: left chest pad halfway between sternum and left nipple, with upper edge below nipple; other pad on the left side of the back beneath the shoulder blade

Answer: (D)

Anteroposterior placement means one pad goes on the front of the chest and the other goes on the back, so the electrical current travels through the heart from front to back. The described setup matches that: a pad placed on the left side of the chest, about halfway between the sternum and the left nipple with the upper edge below the nipple, and the other pad placed on the back beneath the shoulder blade. This positioning creates a direct path through the heart. It’s different from placing both pads on the chest or placing one on the shoulder area, which don’t provide the front-to-back energy path that anteroposterior placement aims for.

Anteroposterior placement means one pad goes on the front of the chest and the other goes on the back, so the electrical current travels through the heart from front to back. The described setup matches that: a pad placed on the left side of the chest, about halfway between the sternum and the left nipple with the upper edge below the nipple, and the other pad placed on the back beneath the shoulder blade. This positioning creates a direct path through the heart. It’s different from placing both pads on the chest or placing one on the shoulder area, which don’t provide the front-to-back energy path that anteroposterior placement aims for.