How should AED pads be placed on a person's chest?

For proper placement of AED pads on a person's chest, one pad should be positioned on the upper right side and the other on the lower left side. This specific arrangement allows for the most effective path for the defibrillation shock to travel across the heart muscle, optimizing its ability to restore a normal heart rhythm. The positioning of the pads aims to create a direct electrical pathway that can help to depolarize the heart and potentially allow it to resume effective contractions.

In contrast, placing both pads on the center of the chest would not provide the necessary spread across the heart, which could reduce the efficacy of the shock. Similarly, positioning one pad on the upper left side and the other on the lower right side does not create the optimal route for delivering the electric shock. Lastly, placing one pad on the back and one on the front is not recommended, as this could further impede the shock path and complicate the delivery of the defibrillation, negating the immediate benefits of using the AED.