Basic Life Support (BLS) Practice Exam

You are providing care for a patient with an endotracheal tube in place. How does this affect compressions and ventilations?

1. The team should provide ventilations at a rate of 1 ventilation every 6 seconds without pausing compressions.

2. Compressions should be paused for each ventilation to ensure effectiveness.

3. Ventilations should be given every 3 seconds during compressions.

4. Ventilations are not necessary if an endotracheal tube is present.

The correct answer is: The team should provide ventilations at a rate of 1 ventilation every 6 seconds without pausing compressions.

Providing care for a patient with an endotracheal tube significantly influences how ventilations are administered during CPR. When an endotracheal tube is in place, the airway is secured, allowing for more effective delivery of breaths. The correct approach is to provide ventilations at a rate of 1 ventilation every 6 seconds without pausing compressions. This method ensures that high-quality chest compressions are maintained while still providing adequate ventilatory support. In this context, the continuous delivery of compressions remains critical for maintaining blood circulation, especially in a cardiac arrest situation. By allowing for ventilations every 6 seconds while compressions continue uninterrupted, the team can optimize both oxygenation and circulation, which is essential for the patient's survival and recovery. This rationale makes the approach of maintaining compressions while providing ventilations at this designated interval the most effective method of care. Other options suggest either an unnecessary pause in compressions or incorrect timing for ventilations, which could compromise the quality of CPR being administered.