Basic Life Support (BLS) Practice Exam

After Jenna performs 30 chest compressions, what should her team do next?

1. Open the patient's mouth and look for an object

2. Give 2 rescue breaths

3. Take a moment to reassess the patient

4. Perform abdominal thrusts

The correct answer is: Open the patient's mouth and look for an object

The correct action following 30 chest compressions in the context of Basic Life Support (BLS) is to perform 2 rescue breaths. Chest compressions are a vital component of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and they are followed by rescue breaths in a typical cycle when someone is unresponsive and not breathing. After completing the compressions, the goal is to provide oxygen to the person’s lungs while continuing to maintain blood circulation through chest compressions. Giving rescue breaths helps to deliver oxygen to the lungs, which is crucial for maintaining oxygenation of vital organs until emergency medical services (EMS) arrive or the person begins to breath on their own. Opening the patient's mouth to look for an object would typically only be appropriate if the person is choking and there is reason to believe that there is an obstruction affecting their ability to breathe. This is not the immediate next step after performing compressions. Taking a moment to reassess the patient could be important in some contexts of care, but in the specific rhythm of CPR, the sequence is clear: you perform compressions followed by breaths, not reassessment. Performing abdominal thrusts is also specific to choking situations, where there is an obstruction in the airway. In the context of standard