CPR CPR Certification and Legal Aspects 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'implied consent' mean in the context of emergency CPR?
- The victim verbally agreed to CPR
- The law assumes an unconscious or unresponsive victim would consent to life-saving care if they were able (Correct answer)
- A bystander signs a consent form
- The victim's family must consent before CPR begins
Correct answer: The law assumes an unconscious or unresponsive victim would consent to life-saving care if they were able
Implied consent is the legal principle that an unconscious or incapacitated person in a life-threatening situation would consent to emergency care — rescuers need not wait for explicit permission.
Question 2: Under what circumstance may a rescuer legally withhold CPR from an unresponsive adult?
- When the rescuer is not certified
- When a valid DNR order or POLST form is present and accessible (Correct answer)
- When CPR has already been attempted for 5 minutes
- When the victim's family objects verbally
Correct answer: When a valid DNR order or POLST form is present and accessible
A valid, accessible DNR or POLST order is a legal directive that removes the obligation to initiate CPR — verbal objection from family without documentation does not legally override the obligation to treat.
Question 3: What is the role of the 'recorder' in a hospital resuscitation team?
- To video record the resuscitation
- To document real-time events, medications given, and timing during the resuscitation (Correct answer)
- To monitor the AED
- To assign roles to team members
Correct answer: To document real-time events, medications given, and timing during the resuscitation
The recorder documents the timeline, interventions, medications administered, and rhythm findings during resuscitation — this record is essential for post-event debriefing and continuity of care.
Question 4: What is 'bystander CPR' and why is it critical in the out-of-hospital setting?
- CPR performed by emergency dispatchers via phone
- CPR initiated by a lay bystander before EMS arrives, which doubles or triples survival rates from cardiac arrest (Correct answer)
- CPR taught only in public schools
- CPR performed after 15 minutes of collapse
Correct answer: CPR initiated by a lay bystander before EMS arrives, which doubles or triples survival rates from cardiac arrest
Bystander CPR — performed by a layperson before EMS arrives — is one of the strongest predictors of cardiac arrest survival; it maintains circulation during the critical minutes before paramedics arrive.
Question 5: Which US agency provides the national CPR and emergency care research standards used by the AHA?
- FEMA
- The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), whose evidence reviews inform AHA guidelines (Correct answer)
- CDC
- NIH directly
Correct answer: The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), whose evidence reviews inform AHA guidelines
ILCOR is the international body that systematically reviews resuscitation evidence; the AHA uses ILCOR's consensus science to develop its CPR guidelines for the US.
Question 6: What is the significance of the 'Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival' (CARES) in the US?
- It certifies CPR instructors
- It is a national database that tracks out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes to measure the effectiveness of community resuscitation programs (Correct answer)
- It provides liability insurance for CPR rescuers
- It manages AED placement nationwide
Correct answer: It is a national database that tracks out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes to measure the effectiveness of community resuscitation programs
CARES is a national registry that collects data on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest to benchmark community resuscitation programs, identify gaps, and improve survival rates across the US.
CPR CPR Certification and Legal Aspects 2
What does 'implied consent' mean in the context of emergency CPR?