What should you do immediately after delivering a shock with an AED to a patient in cardiac arrest?

Immediately after delivering a shock with an AED to a patient in cardiac arrest, the priority is to initiate CPR. This is crucial because the electrical shock may have temporarily restored a heart rhythm, but the patient will still require external support to maintain circulation and oxygenation. CPR is vital to keep blood flowing to the brain and other vital organs until advanced medical help arrives or until the AED instructs further action.

Following the shock, continuing compressions provides the necessary blood flow to vital organs, enhancing the chances of survival. The guidelines emphasize that after any shock is delivered, high-quality CPR should resume immediately, as it plays a critical role in the chain of survival for victims of sudden cardiac arrest.

The other choices, while they may have their place at different points in the patient care process, are not the immediate actions required after shock delivery. For instance, checking for a pulse or breathing would take time and may delay necessary compressions, which are urgent in maintaining circulatory function. Analyzing with the AED again should be done periodically but is not the immediate next step. Providing rescue breaths can also be important but should be integrated into the CPR process when indicated. Thus, the immediate focus should be on performing CPR to optimize patient outcomes.