Which of the following is a characteristic of cardioversion?

Cardioversion is a medical procedure used to restore a normal heart rhythm in patients with certain types of abnormal heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. A key characteristic of cardioversion is that it involves synchronized shocks, which means the electrical shock is timed to be delivered at a specific point in the cardiac cycle. This is crucial as it aims to avoid delivering a shock during the refractory period of the cardiac cycle, which could potentially lead to more serious complications and ineffective treatment.

The synchronization in cardioversion targets unstable rhythms specifically, allowing for a more controlled approach in restoring normal rhythm without inducing dangerous arrhythmias. This is in contrast to defibrillation, which is typically used for life-threatening rhythms like ventricular fibrillation and does not involve synchronization.

Understanding the principle behind cardioversion’s synchronized nature emphasizes its role in treating particular arrhythmias while ensuring patient safety and effective management of the heart's rhythm.