What is the recommended action for a person who is unconscious and not breathing?

• A. 30 Chest compressions followed by 2 breaths
• B. 2 breaths followed by 30 compressions
• C. 15 chest compressions followed by 15 breaths
• D. 60 seconds of breaths only

Answer: (A)

When someone is unconscious and not breathing, the immediate goal is to keep blood circulating and to oxygenate the blood. The best action is to start chest compressions right away to push blood through the body, then provide rescue breaths to add oxygen to the blood, and continue alternating in cycles. This order works because moving blood to the brain and heart is the fastest way to keep vital organs alive, while breaths supply the oxygen those organs need. If you only give breaths, there’s no circulation to carry that oxygen to the organs. If you only compress, oxygen isn’t being delivered efficiently to the blood. The cycle of compressions followed by breaths maximizes both circulation and oxygenation, which is why it’s the recommended approach. Call for help or have someone else do so, and use an AED when it’s available.