During two-person adult CPR, what is the recommended compression-to-ventilation ratio?

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Multiple Choice

During two-person adult CPR, what is the recommended compression-to-ventilation ratio?

In two-person adult CPR, the goal is to keep blood flowing while providing oxygen, which is best achieved with cycles of chest compressions followed by breaths. The standard pattern uses 30 chest compressions, then 2 ventilations, repeated in succession. This 30:2 ratio balances rapid, effective compression with timely ventilations, helping maintain perfusion to the brain and heart while still delivering oxygen to the bloodstream. Rescuers coordinate by one doing compressions and the other giving breaths, then switch roles about every two minutes to reduce fatigue, keeping the overall rate of compressions around 100–120 per minute. Think of it this way: too many breaths interrupting compressions reduces blood flow and perfusion pressure, while too few breaths can’t adequately oxygenate the blood. The 30:2 ratio is the established balance for adults without an advanced airway in place. If an advanced airway is in place, guidelines allow continuous compressions with asynchronous ventilation, but the question targets the standard two-person adult CPR scenario, where 30 compressions to 2 breaths is the correct approach. The other ratios don’t fit this adult two-rescuer context. A very small number of compressions per breath would under-supply blood flow, while an excessive number of compressions per breath would cause unnecessary pauses for ventilation. A 15:2 ratio is used in many pediatric scenarios, not typical for adult CPR.

In two-person adult CPR, the goal is to keep blood flowing while providing oxygen, which is best achieved with cycles of chest compressions followed by breaths. The standard pattern uses 30 chest compressions, then 2 ventilations, repeated in succession. This 30:2 ratio balances rapid, effective compression with timely ventilations, helping maintain perfusion to the brain and heart while still delivering oxygen to the bloodstream. Rescuers coordinate by one doing compressions and the other giving breaths, then switch roles about every two minutes to reduce fatigue, keeping the overall rate of compressions around 100–120 per minute.

Think of it this way: too many breaths interrupting compressions reduces blood flow and perfusion pressure, while too few breaths can’t adequately oxygenate the blood. The 30:2 ratio is the established balance for adults without an advanced airway in place. If an advanced airway is in place, guidelines allow continuous compressions with asynchronous ventilation, but the question targets the standard two-person adult CPR scenario, where 30 compressions to 2 breaths is the correct approach.

The other ratios don’t fit this adult two-rescuer context. A very small number of compressions per breath would under-supply blood flow, while an excessive number of compressions per breath would cause unnecessary pauses for ventilation. A 15:2 ratio is used in many pediatric scenarios, not typical for adult CPR.

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