BLS Respiratory Arrest 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A 60-year-old is found unresponsive, not breathing, with a pulse. Two minutes later the pulse disappears. What should you do?
- Begin full CPR with compressions and ventilations (Correct answer)
- Continue rescue breathing only and reassess in 2 minutes
- Apply AED only and wait for a shock to restore circulation
- Perform abdominal thrusts to clear a possible obstruction
Correct answer: Begin full CPR with compressions and ventilations
Once the pulse is absent, the patient is in cardiac arrest and full CPR (compressions + ventilations) must begin.
Question 2: What is the correct technique for sealing a pocket mask on an adult patient's face?
- Place the apex over the nose, base above the chin, and form an E-C clamp with both hands (Correct answer)
- Cover the mouth only and pinch the nose externally
- Lay the mask flat over the face and lean on it to seal
- Hold the mask with one finger on each side and press lightly
Correct answer: Place the apex over the nose, base above the chin, and form an E-C clamp with both hands
The E-C clamp technique with apex on nose and base above chin ensures an airtight seal for effective ventilation.
Question 3: Which of the following scenarios represents PRIMARY respiratory arrest?
- Drug overdose stops breathing before the heart fails (Correct answer)
- Ventricular fibrillation leads to absent breathing
- Complete airway obstruction from a foreign body causes immediate cardiac arrest
- Severe blood loss triggers multi-organ failure including lung failure
Correct answer: Drug overdose stops breathing before the heart fails
Primary respiratory arrest occurs when breathing stops first due to a non-cardiac cause while the heart initially continues.
Question 4: You arrive at a scene and find an unresponsive adult. After opening the airway, you see slow, irregular gasping breaths (approximately 4 per minute). What is the correct BLS response?
- Treat as respiratory arrest and begin rescue breathing or CPR (Correct answer)
- Monitor for improvement — some breathing is present
- Record time and call medical direction before acting
- Only provide supplemental oxygen by non-rebreather mask
Correct answer: Treat as respiratory arrest and begin rescue breathing or CPR
Fewer than 6 breaths per minute (bradypnea/agonal) is functionally inadequate and should be treated as respiratory arrest.
Question 5: When providing bag-mask ventilation alone (no advanced airway), why is cricoid pressure (Sellick maneuver) NOT routinely recommended during CPR?
- It can impede ventilation and slow airway management without proven benefit (Correct answer)
- It is only beneficial after intubation
- It is reserved for pediatric patients only
- It requires two additional rescuers and is impractical
Correct answer: It can impede ventilation and slow airway management without proven benefit
Current AHA guidelines do not recommend routine cricoid pressure because it can worsen ventilation without demonstrated reduction in aspiration.
Question 6: After returning of spontaneous breathing in a patient who had respiratory arrest, which position is recommended if no spinal injury is suspected?
- Recovery position (lateral recumbent) (Correct answer)
- Supine with legs elevated
- Sitting upright at 90 degrees
- Prone position
Correct answer: Recovery position (lateral recumbent)
The recovery position keeps the airway open and allows fluid to drain, reducing aspiration risk in an unconscious or semi-conscious patient.
Question 7: A healthcare provider is performing rescue breathing on a patient with a suspected opioid overdose and NO pulse oximeter is available. How should they judge the adequacy of ventilations?
- Visible chest rise and fall with each breath (Correct answer)
- Patient's skin color returning to pink within 10 breaths
- Absence of any abdominal movement during ventilation
- Audible air rushing through the stoma on exhalation
Correct answer: Visible chest rise and fall with each breath
Without monitoring equipment, visible chest rise with each breath remains the primary clinical indicator of adequate ventilation.
BLS Respiratory Arrest 5
A 60-year-old is found unresponsive, not breathing, with a pulse.
Two minutes later the pulse disappears.
What should you do?