Ontario Paramedic Practice Exam

Under what circumstances should CPR be initiated?

1. When the patient is responsive but in pain

2. In cases where the patient is unresponsive and not breathing normally

3. When the patient is breathing but without pulse

4. After a victim has fallen

The correct answer is: In cases where the patient is unresponsive and not breathing normally

CPR should be initiated when the patient is unresponsive and not breathing normally because these conditions indicate a critical situation where the heart and respiratory system have failed to maintain adequate circulation and oxygenation. In these scenarios, the brain and other vital organs are at significant risk of damage due to a lack of oxygen. When a person is unresponsive, they cannot maintain their own airway or breathing, which are essential for survival. By performing CPR, you help to manually circulate blood to the vital organs and provide oxygen, increasing the chances of survival until advanced medical help arrives. For the other circumstances mentioned, they do not meet the criteria for immediate CPR initiation. If a patient is responsive but in pain, they still have enough consciousness to communicate, and their breathing may still be adequate. Likewise, a patient who is breathing but without a pulse has a heartbeat issue that requires advanced medical intervention but does not automatically warrant CPR, as the patient may still be receiving oxygen. Lastly, simply having fallen does not provide enough information about the patient's responsiveness or breathing status, therefore does not indicate an immediate need for CPR without further assessment.