What action should you take if a pulse is present but the patient is not breathing normally?

What action should you take if a pulse is present but the patient is not breathing normally?

• A. Provide ventilations
• B. Begin CPR
• C. Check pulse again
• D. Call EMS

Answer: (A)

When a pulse is present but the patient isn’t breathing normally, the priority is to support breathing rather than start chest compressions. The heart is still circulating, so you provide rescue breaths to oxygenate the blood and keep the tissues supplied while the patient’s breathing improves or until help arrives. Deliver breaths using the airway technique (head tilt and chin lift for a non-traumatic cause) and give each breath long enough to make the chest rise. Aim for about 10 to 12 breaths per minute (one every 5–6 seconds). Monitor for any improvement in breathing or a drop in pulse; if the patient develops a pulseless rhythm, start CPR immediately. If you can, call EMS promptly, but the immediate action to support life is ventilations.

When a pulse is present but the patient isn’t breathing normally, the priority is to support breathing rather than start chest compressions. The heart is still circulating, so you provide rescue breaths to oxygenate the blood and keep the tissues supplied while the patient’s breathing improves or until help arrives.

Deliver breaths using the airway technique (head tilt and chin lift for a non-traumatic cause) and give each breath long enough to make the chest rise. Aim for about 10 to 12 breaths per minute (one every 5–6 seconds). Monitor for any improvement in breathing or a drop in pulse; if the patient develops a pulseless rhythm, start CPR immediately. If you can, call EMS promptly, but the immediate action to support life is ventilations.