<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> View of defibrillator electrode position and placement . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> (edit on Wikidata) </Td> </Tr> <P> Defibrillation is a treatment for life - threatening cardiac dysrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (VF) and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia (VT). A defibrillator delivers a dose of electric current (often called a countershock) to the heart . Although not fully understood, this would depolarize a large amount of the heart muscle, ending the dysrhythmia . Subsequently, the body's natural pacemaker in the sinoatrial node of the heart is able to re-establish normal sinus rhythm . </P> <P> In contrast to defibrillation, synchronized electrical cardioversion is an electrical shock delivered in synchrony to the cardiac cycle . Although the person may still be critically ill, cardioversion normally aims to end poorly perfusing cardiac dysrhythmias, such as supraventricular tachycardia . </P>

Can the pads used to deliver the electrical shock to the heart can be placed over clothing