BLS — Basic Life Support — All Questions

A responsive adult clutches his throat, cannot speak or cough, and is turning blue. What should you do?

• a.Encourage him to keep coughing and do nothing else
• b.Give abdominal thrusts until the object is expelled or he becomes unresponsive✓
• c.Give 2 rescue breaths immediately
• d.Perform a blind finger sweep of the mouth

Inability to speak or cough with cyanosis signals a severe airway obstruction. For a responsive adult or child, deliver abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver) until the object comes out or the victim becomes unresponsive. A blind finger sweep can push the object deeper and is not recommended.

A 6-month-old infant is choking, cannot cry, and is in obvious distress. The correct technique is:

• a.Abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver)
• b.A blind finger sweep followed by rescue breaths
• c.Cycles of 5 back slaps followed by 5 chest thrusts✓
• d.Holding the infant upside down and shaking

For a choking responsive infant, deliver cycles of 5 back slaps followed by 5 chest thrusts, supporting the head and neck. Abdominal thrusts are not used on infants because they can injure the liver and other abdominal organs. Repeat the cycles until the object is expelled or the infant becomes unresponsive.

A choking victim you were treating suddenly becomes unresponsive. What should you do next?

• a.Lower them to the ground, activate emergency response, and begin CPR starting with compressions✓
• b.Continue abdominal thrusts on the ground until help arrives
• c.Give 5 rescue breaths before doing anything else
• d.Perform repeated blind finger sweeps until the object is found

When a choking victim becomes unresponsive, lower them safely to the ground, activate the emergency response system, and begin CPR starting with chest compressions. Each time you open the airway to give breaths, look inside the mouth and remove the object only if you can see it — the compressions themselves also help generate pressure to expel the obstruction.

An adult is coughing forcefully and can still speak while eating. This indicates:

• a.A severe obstruction requiring immediate abdominal thrusts
• b.A cardiac arrest requiring CPR
• c.A need for immediate back slaps
• d.A mild obstruction — encourage continued coughing and do not interfere✓

Forceful coughing and the ability to speak indicate a mild (partial) obstruction with good air exchange. A strong cough moves more air than any manual maneuver, so you should encourage continued coughing, stay with the victim, and be ready to act only if the obstruction becomes severe (silent cough, inability to speak or breathe).