A 6-month-old infant is unresponsive with a pulse of 30 and respirations of 6. What is the immediate action?

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Multiple Choice

A 6-month-old infant is unresponsive with a pulse of 30 and respirations of 6. What is the immediate action?

When an infant is unresponsive with a very slow heart rate and inadequate breathing, the priority is to start CPR immediately to restore circulation. The pulse of 30 indicates critical perfusion is not happening, so delaying to do anything else would allow brain and organ damage to progress. Begin high-quality chest compressions right away to pump blood to the heart and brain, and provide rescue breaths to oxygenate. Use the standard CPR cycle for a single rescuer: 30 compressions, then 2 breaths, and continue. Aim for compressions about 1/3 the chest depth at a rate around 100–120 per minute, with full chest recoil between compressions. After every 30 compressions, give 2 breaths, watching for the chest to rise. If a second rescuer arrives, switch to 15 compressions then 2 breaths. Delays such as rechecking the pulse or waiting to call for help would waste valuable time; initiating CPR now is the crucial action.

When an infant is unresponsive with a very slow heart rate and inadequate breathing, the priority is to start CPR immediately to restore circulation. The pulse of 30 indicates critical perfusion is not happening, so delaying to do anything else would allow brain and organ damage to progress. Begin high-quality chest compressions right away to pump blood to the heart and brain, and provide rescue breaths to oxygenate.

Use the standard CPR cycle for a single rescuer: 30 compressions, then 2 breaths, and continue. Aim for compressions about 1/3 the chest depth at a rate around 100–120 per minute, with full chest recoil between compressions. After every 30 compressions, give 2 breaths, watching for the chest to rise. If a second rescuer arrives, switch to 15 compressions then 2 breaths.

Delays such as rechecking the pulse or waiting to call for help would waste valuable time; initiating CPR now is the crucial action.

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