Effect of shaving the chest of hirsute subjects on transthoracic impedance to self-adhesive defibrillation electrode pads.

We determined transthoracic impedance (TTI) before and after shaving in 9 hirsute and 11 nonhirsute subjects. TTI in hirsute subjects was mean +/- SE 162 +/- 11 versus 103 +/- 6 ohms in nonhirsute subjects (p <0.01); TTI decreased to 105 +/- 3 ohms after shaving the hirsute chests (p <0.01).