During CPR on a child, interruption to chest compressions should be limited to no more than how many seconds?

During CPR on a child, interruption to chest compressions should be limited to no more than how many seconds?

• A. 10 seconds
• B. 20 seconds
• C. 5 seconds
• D. 15 seconds

Answer: (A)

Maintaining continuous chest compressions is essential because each interruption allows blood pressure to fall, reducing blood flow to the heart and brain and making it harder to restore spontaneous circulation. In a child, the guideline is to limit any interruption to no more than 10 seconds. This keeps pauses during rhythm checks, defibrillator charging, or ventilations very short so perfusion doesn’t drop significantly between compressions. While shorter pauses like 5 seconds can occur, the maximum allowed pause is 10 seconds; longer breaks such as 15 or 20 seconds greatly reduce perfusion and should be avoided.

Maintaining continuous chest compressions is essential because each interruption allows blood pressure to fall, reducing blood flow to the heart and brain and making it harder to restore spontaneous circulation. In a child, the guideline is to limit any interruption to no more than 10 seconds. This keeps pauses during rhythm checks, defibrillator charging, or ventilations very short so perfusion doesn’t drop significantly between compressions. While shorter pauses like 5 seconds can occur, the maximum allowed pause is 10 seconds; longer breaks such as 15 or 20 seconds greatly reduce perfusion and should be avoided.