Respiratory Arrest Flashcards
7 cards from real BLS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Respiratory Arrest flashcards as text
A 60-year-old is found unresponsive, not breathing, with a pulse. Two minutes later the pulse disappears. What should you do?
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.
What is the correct technique for sealing a pocket mask on an adult patient's face?
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.
Which of the following scenarios represents PRIMARY respiratory arrest?
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.
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?
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.
When providing bag-mask ventilation alone (no advanced airway), why is cricoid pressure (Sellick maneuver) NOT routinely recommended during CPR?
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.
After returning of spontaneous breathing in a patient who had respiratory arrest, which position is recommended if no spinal injury is suspected?
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.
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?
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.