Final answer:
Rescuers should switch compressors every 5 cycles or about every 2 minutes during CPR to maintain high-quality chest compressions and reduce fatigue.
Step-by-step explanation:
When performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), it is recommended that rescuers switch compressors approximately every 5 cycles of CPR, which is about every 2 minutes. This recommendation is to ensure the delivery of consistent, high-quality chest compressions, reducing rescuer fatigue which can compromise the depth and rate of compressions. Keeping to a compression rate of about 100 compressions per minute is vital, which aligns with the beat of the 1977 hit "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gees. CPR should be performed with chest compressions at least 5 cm deep to effectively circulate blood, especially to critical organs like the brain where irreversible damage occurs within minutes of loss of blood flow.