After 2 minutes of providing ventilations, the patient has no pulse. What should you do next?

• A. Immediately begin CPR.
• B. Check for a pulse again.
• C. Pause ventilations and reassess.
• D. Continue ventilations only.

Answer: (A)

When there is no pulse, the priority is to restore blood flow. Ventilating without circulating blood won’t sustain vital organs, so you must start chest compressions immediately to provide artificial circulation. Delaying to recheck the pulse or continuing ventilations only would waste precious time and reduce chances of survival. If an AED is available, turn it on and use it as soon as you can while continuing CPR. The key is to begin high-quality chest compressions right away and keep them going until help arrives or an AED can be used.