I was quite surprised when I’ve heard about pediatric defibrillator. What is the difference between that and an adult defibrillator? Is it a dosage or something else?
Yes, the main difference you see when defibrillating a child is the shock dosage. It is much lower than what is given to an adult, and where an adult shock is a standard amount. In children it is measured and administered according to their weight. However, Pediatric defibrillation is not a common occurrence. When it does occur, the cardiac arrest is due to drowning, electrocution, drug overdose, etc. Comparatively, cardiac arrest in older patients will be due to MI's or underlying arrhythmias that convert.