What action should you take if a patient’s chest does not rise with a rescue breath?

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Multiple Choice

What action should you take if a patient’s chest does not rise with a rescue breath?

When a rescue breath doesn’t cause the chest to rise, air isn’t getting into the lungs, so fix the airway and the seal first. Reopen the airway with a proper head-tilt/chin-lift to move the tongue away and open the passage. Then reseal the mask or mouth to prevent air leaks, and give another breath. This sequence directly addresses the common reasons air isn’t reaching the lungs—airway obstruction or a poor seal—and the second breath confirms whether ventilation is now effective. Stopping CPR, switching to chest compressions only, or continuing with breaths without correcting the airway seal wouldn’t reliably deliver ventilation and could waste precious time. If the chest still doesn’t rise after a second attempt, reassess for obstruction or device issues and proceed as trained.

When a rescue breath doesn’t cause the chest to rise, air isn’t getting into the lungs, so fix the airway and the seal first. Reopen the airway with a proper head-tilt/chin-lift to move the tongue away and open the passage. Then reseal the mask or mouth to prevent air leaks, and give another breath. This sequence directly addresses the common reasons air isn’t reaching the lungs—airway obstruction or a poor seal—and the second breath confirms whether ventilation is now effective. Stopping CPR, switching to chest compressions only, or continuing with breaths without correcting the airway seal wouldn’t reliably deliver ventilation and could waste precious time. If the chest still doesn’t rise after a second attempt, reassess for obstruction or device issues and proceed as trained.

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