How many chest compressions and breaths constitute a standard adult CPR cycle?

How many chest compressions and breaths constitute a standard adult CPR cycle?

• A. 15 compressions and 1 breath
• B. 20 compressions and 2 breaths
• C. 30 compressions and 2 breaths
• D. 40 compressions and 1 breath

Answer: (C)

The main idea is the bounce between circulating blood and delivering oxygen during CPR. For an adult with one rescuer, the standard cycle uses 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths, and you repeat this set over and over. The reason this ratio works well is that it maintains blood flow to the brain and other vital organs while still giving the lungs a chance to oxygenate the blood through breaths. Compress at a steady rate (about 100–120 compressions per minute) and about 2 inches (5 cm) deep, with full chest recoil, then pause briefly to deliver two breaths that make the chest rise. The other shown ratios don’t align with typical guidelines for an adult CPR cycle, as they would either shorten or extend the ventilation portion in a way that disrupts the balance between circulation and ventilation. In two-rescuer scenarios, you might adjust in different ways, but for a single-rescuer standard cycle, 30 compressions and 2 breaths is the correct pattern.

The main idea is the bounce between circulating blood and delivering oxygen during CPR. For an adult with one rescuer, the standard cycle uses 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths, and you repeat this set over and over. The reason this ratio works well is that it maintains blood flow to the brain and other vital organs while still giving the lungs a chance to oxygenate the blood through breaths. Compress at a steady rate (about 100–120 compressions per minute) and about 2 inches (5 cm) deep, with full chest recoil, then pause briefly to deliver two breaths that make the chest rise. The other shown ratios don’t align with typical guidelines for an adult CPR cycle, as they would either shorten or extend the ventilation portion in a way that disrupts the balance between circulation and ventilation. In two-rescuer scenarios, you might adjust in different ways, but for a single-rescuer standard cycle, 30 compressions and 2 breaths is the correct pattern.