BLS Algorithm Flashcard 2

D. Rationale: Studies have shown that even trained health care providers have difficulty finding an infant’s pulse. Thus, the guidelines state that a lay rescuer may forego this step to prevent a delay in administering prompt CPR.

B. Rationale: In a two-rescuer CPR team, the team members switch roles every 2 minutes, which helps lessen fatigue and improve CPR quality.

A. Rationale: Preload is the amount of stretch at the end of ventricular relaxation. An adequate preload is the result of more oxygenated blood going to the ventricle after it relaxes in preparation for the next contraction that will deliver oxygen to the heart and brain. For a patient in cardiac arrest, giving chest compressions at an adequate depth while maintaining full chest recoil enhances this preload event, maximizing adequate oxygenation to vital organs.

A. Rationale: The head tilt-chin lift maneuver is a noninvasive maneuver to open the airway. Endotracheal intubation and inserting an oropharyngeal airway also open the patient’s airway, but these are more invasive techniques performed by trained healthcare providers.

C. Rationale: The center of the chest is at the lower half of the body of the sternum. Do not perform chest compressions on the xiphoid process, which is a floating bone below the distal part of the sternum, because it can cause internal injuries, particularly in children.

B. Rationale: A lay rescuer should allow a maximum of 10 seconds to check for unresponsiveness and assess for abnormal or absent breathing in a patient suspected of cardiac arrest.

D. Rationale: Lay rescuer fatigue is the number one cause of failure to provide high-quality CPR. It is preferable to have multiple lay rescuers alternating, providing CPR every 2 minutes until EMS arrives at the scene to take over.

C. Rationale: The optimal chest compression depth in a high-quality CPR is 5 centimeters or 2 inches. Chest compressions are performed at the center of the chest, over the sternum, with one hand on top of the other, elbows extended, and utilizing the lay rescuer’s body weight to apply pressure.

D. Rationale: Despite studies showing improvement with conventional CPR, the lay person not performing CPR at all because they are untrained should be avoided. The American Heart Association recommends uninterrupted chest-compression-only CPR for the untrained lay rescuer until an AED is available, an emergency response team arrives, or the patient regains consciousness.

C. Rationale: The recommended compression depth during CPR is between 2 and 2.5 inches. Studies have shown that this achieves the optimal cardiac output under the circumstances.