When should chest compressions be performed when using an AED?

Chest compressions should be performed from the moment the AED indicates a shock-advised situation through the clear prompt, which instructs rescuers to stand clear of the patient. This is critical because high-quality chest compressions help to maintain blood flow to vital organs, particularly the brain and heart, during the time it takes for the AED to analyze the heart rhythm and deliver a shock if indicated.

In the context of using an AED, effective compressions are crucial to improve the chances of survival by keeping blood circulating through the body. The recommendation is to minimize interruptions in chest compressions to ensure that perfusion is maintained before and after delivering a shock, enhancing the effectiveness of the defibrillation attempt.

To clarify other options, chest compressions should not only occur during rhythm analysis or only after the shock is delivered, as this would neglect the importance of continuous circulation. Performing compressions intermittently or limiting them to a specific time frame, like the first two minutes, would be insufficient for scenarios where immediate and continual support for circulation is necessary. Therefore, chest compressions should continue without interruption during the indicated phases around the AED's prompts to maximize the patient’s chance of recovery.