How do I choose monophasic defibrillator or biphasic defibrillator?

Is the defibrillator monophasic or biphasic?

The so-called monophasic and biphasic waves are a classification of defibrillators based on the direction of defibrillation current.

Definition

Monophasic Defibrillator, where the current flows only one way between the electrodes.

Biphasic Defibrillator, where the current flows in one direction and then reverses back to the other.

Advantages of Biphasic Defibrillator:

Compared to the monophasic technology used by monophasic defibrillator,Biphasic exhibits superior defibrillator characteristics due to its low peak current and long duration of effective current: high defibrillator success rate and less cardiac damage.

1. The effectiveness of one Biphasic shock is equal to or better than three Monophasic shocks.

2. Data from out-of-hospital and in-hospital studies have shown that low-energy Biphasic defibrillation has comparable or higher success rates of ventricular fibrillation termination than Monophasic defibrillation, with less damage.

Both biphasic shocks and monophasic shocks can save lives in cases of ventricular fibrillation. However, if we compare biphasic defibrillation to monophasic defibrillation, we see that Biphasic requires less energy and is slightly less risky than monophasic defibrillation, making it the technology of choice for new AEDs.