Question

You and another lifeguard find an unconscious adult on the floor in the locker room. You activate your facility's EAP, size -up the scene and perform a primary assessment. You find the victim is not moving or breathing, but has a pulse. You should summon EMS personnel, then:

a. Give back blows and chest thrusts.
b. Give quick breaths at the rate of 20 to 40 a minute.
c. Give 1 rescue breath about every 5 seconds.
d. Perform CPR.

Answer 1

When you find an adult who is not breathing but has a pulse, give 1 rescue breath every 5 seconds after activating the EAP and calling EMS. Do not perform CPR unless there is no pulse.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you find an unconscious adult who is not moving or breathing but has a pulse, after activating your facility's Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and summoning EMS (Emergency Medical Services), you should start giving rescue breaths. The correct action is to give 1 rescue breath about every 5 seconds, not to perform CPR since the victim has a pulse. This totals about 10 to 12 breaths per minute. Remember, CPR is only to be performed if the victim does not have a pulse.

It's important to perform these actions correctly because improper or unnecessary techniques like CPR when the victim has a pulse could cause harm, including broken ribs or damage to internal organs. Proper training and certification in CPR and rescue breathing techniques are essential for ensuring the correct procedures are followed, potentially saving lives without inflicting additional harm.