Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Practice Exam 2025 – Your Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Immediate defibrillation is indicated specifically in the presence of ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT). Both of these arrhythmias are life-threatening conditions that can lead to cardiac arrest and require urgent intervention to restore a normal rhythm.

Ventricular fibrillation is characterized by chaotic electrical activity in the heart, preventing it from effectively pumping blood. Similarly, pulseless VT is a rapid heart rhythm that does not produce a measurable pulse, meaning the heart is also ineffective at maintaining circulation. In both cases, defibrillation delivers an electrical shock to the heart, which can interrupt the abnormal rhythm and allow the heart's natural pacemaker to regain control, potentially restoring a viable cardiac rhythm.

Other conditions listed, such as bradycardia, chest pain, or normal sinus rhythm, do not warrant immediate defibrillation. Bradycardia refers to a slow heart rate, which may require other forms of intervention but not defibrillation. Chest pain may suggest myocardial ischemia or other cardiac problems but does not indicate the immediate need for defibrillation unless accompanied by the other arrhythmias mentioned. Normal sinus rhythm signifies a healthy heart rhythm, so there is no need for defibrillation. Thus,