What is the first-line energy dose for defibrillation in a 5 kg infant?

What is the first-line energy dose for defibrillation in a 5 kg infant?

• A. 10 J
• B. 5 J
• C. 15 J
• D. 20 J

Answer: (A)

Defibrillation energy in infants is set by weight to balance effectiveness with safety. The standard initial energy is 2 joules per kilogram. For a 5 kg infant, that is 10 joules, which is the dose used first to try to terminate the dangerous rhythm. If the initial shock doesn’t convert the rhythm, the energy is increased for the next shock (typically to 4 J/kg, which would be 20 joules for this child). So 10 joules is the correct first-line dose. The other numbers would either undershoot the required initial energy or represent the higher dose used for subsequent shocks.

Defibrillation energy in infants is set by weight to balance effectiveness with safety. The standard initial energy is 2 joules per kilogram. For a 5 kg infant, that is 10 joules, which is the dose used first to try to terminate the dangerous rhythm. If the initial shock doesn’t convert the rhythm, the energy is increased for the next shock (typically to 4 J/kg, which would be 20 joules for this child). So 10 joules is the correct first-line dose. The other numbers would either undershoot the required initial energy or represent the higher dose used for subsequent shocks.