What method should providers use for AED pad placement if the pads risk touching each other?

For AED pad placement, the anterior/posterior placement method is advantageous when the pads risk touching each other, especially in smaller or pediatric patients. This technique involves placing one pad on the chest (anterior) and the other on the back (posterior). This placement ensures that the electrical current can effectively flow through the heart, maximizing the chance of defibrillation while minimizing the risk of the pads interfering with one another.

Using the anterior/posterior placement is particularly important when direct contact between pads could lead to reduced effectiveness in delivering a shock or when dealing with larger patients where side-by-side or anterior-only placements could result in pads overlapping. This method is recognized as a safe and effective strategy to avoid accidental pad contact that might compromise the shock delivery.

In contrast, other methods such as anterior placement or side-by-side placement might be less effective if there's a significant risk of the pads touching, leading to suboptimal treatment. Therefore, using the anterior/posterior placement enhances the chances of successful defibrillation without the complications that other placements might pose.