Basic Life Support (BLS) Practice Exam

What should be your next action after determining an unresponsive patient has no life-threatening bleeding?

1. Activate EMS or a rapid response team

2. Administer oral glucose

3. Begin chest compressions immediately

4. Move the patient to a recovery position

The correct answer is: Activate EMS or a rapid response team

After determining that an unresponsive patient has no life-threatening bleeding, the appropriate next action is to activate EMS or a rapid response team. This is critical because emergency medical services will provide advanced care and transport to the hospital. Early intervention by professionals is essential for improving outcomes, especially in cases of cardiac arrest or significant medical emergencies. In an emergency scenario, the immediate activation of additional medical support allows for a quicker response to any deteriorating conditions while establishing a chain of survival. Initiating the EMS response ensures that the patient receives the necessary advanced interventions as soon as possible, which is especially important in cases of unresponsiveness where serious underlying issues may be present. The other options would not be appropriate as the next step in this situation. Administering oral glucose is specific to hypoglycemic patients who are alert and able to swallow, which is not the case here. Beginning chest compressions is necessary only if the patient demonstrates no pulse or signs of circulation, which needs to be confirmed before starting CPR. Moving the patient to a recovery position is usually done for patients who are breathing but unresponsive; however, activating EMS should take priority if the situation allows.