Defibrillation is defined as

• A. The surgical removal of a damaged portion of the heart.
• B. The use of electrical shock to restore the heart's normal rhythm.
• C. The administration of oxygen to restore oxygen levels.
• D. The use of medication to slow the heart rate.

Answer: (B)

Defibrillation is the use of an electrical shock to restore the heart's normal rhythm. This emergency intervention is used for life-threatening arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, where the heart is not effectively pumping blood. The electrical shock briefly stops all electrical activity, allowing the heart’s natural pacemaker to reset and reestablish a normal rhythm. This is different from removing a damaged portion of the heart, providing oxygen, or giving medications to slow the heart rate, none of which directly reset the heart’s rhythm with an electric impulse.