BLS AHA FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS 2026
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Mouth-to-Nose Ventilations - ✔✔If you are unable to make a complete seal over the
patient's mouth, you may need to use mouth-to-nose ventilations instead.
-With the patient's head tilted back, close the mouth by pushing up on the chin.
-Seal your mouth around the patient's nose and breathe into the nose.
-If possible, open the patient's mouth between ventilations to allow air to escape.
✔✔Adjuncts to Ventilations - ✔✔-Adjuncts to ventilations include supplemental oxygen,
basic airways and advanced airways. Always follow your facility protocols when using
adjuncts to ventilations. A trained and authorized provider can provide supplemental
oxygen or insert an advanced airway as long as it does not delay the administration of
chest compressions, ventilations or defibrillation.
-Although a BLS provider is not always responsible for providing supplemental oxygen
or inserting an advanced airway, you do need to know how to provide ventilations and
monitor the patient while they are in place.
-Ventilations using a BVM resuscitator deliver approximately 20% to 21% oxygen
concentration to the patient. Attaching high-concentration supplemental oxygen to a
BVM resuscitator can increase the oxygen concentration to approximately 90% to 100%
and is recommended as soon as it is available. When supplemental oxygen is attached
to a BVM resuscitator, ventilations are performed the same way.
-If a basic airway is in place, care is performed the same way. However, if an advanced
airway is in place, care must be performed a little differently. If the patient is in
respiratory arrest, deliver 1 ventilation every 6 seconds. If the patient is in cardiac arrest,
one provider delivers 1 ventilation every 6 seconds while another provider performs
continuous chest compressions (i.e., providers do not pause for ventilations). Therefore,
the 30:2 compression-to-ventilation ratio does not apply.
✔✔CPR Cycles - ✔✔-For adult patients, high-quality CPR includes 30 chest
compressions followed by 2 ventilations. Remember, when an advanced airway is in
place, the 30:2 ratio does not apply.
-When drowning or other hypoxic event is suspected as the cause of cardiac arrest,
deliver two initial ventilations before starting CPR.
-During single-provider CPR, one provider performs chest compressions and delivers
ventilations. However, during multiple-provider CPR, one provider performs chest
compressions while one or two other providers manage the airway and deliver
ventilations. Remember, providers must smoothly transition between compressions and
ventilations to minimize interruptions in compressions to less than 10 seconds.
✔✔You enter your patient's room and find them lying supine in bed seemingly
unresponsive. After performing a rapid assessment and determining your patient is in
cardiac arrest, you call for additional resources and an AED. How soon after
,recognizing cardiac arrest should you begin compressions? - ✔✔Begin chest
compressions within 10 seconds.
✔✔After exposing the patient's chest, how should your hands be positioned? - ✔✔Two
hands, one on top of the other, fingers interlaced
✔✔Now that your hands are positioned correctly, where should you place them on the
patient's torso? - ✔✔The correct hand position to perform chest compressions is the
center of the patient's chest on the lower half of the sternum.
✔✔AED Device Notes - ✔✔-Some AEDs and manual defibrillators allow for
compressions after the device analyzes the rhythm, while it is charging. Providers may
perform compressions from the time the shock-advised prompt is noted through the
time that the clear prompt occurs, just before depressing the shock button. Be sure to
follow the manufacturer's recommendations and your facility's protocols.
-If a monitor defibrillator is available, it may have an AED function. Although the device
may look different, follow the same steps.
✔✔AED Safety - ✔✔-It is safe to use an AED on a woman who is pregnant. Remember,
the baby's best chance of survival is the mother's survival.
-It is safe to use an AED on a woman who is pregnant. Remember, the baby's best
chance of survival is the mother's survival.
-You should use an AED if a patient is in cardiac arrest and has a pacemaker or ICD.
However, you should adjust the pad placement to avoid placing the AED pads directly
over the device, because doing so may interfere with the delivery of the shock. A
pacemaker or ICD may be placed in the right upper chest near the clavicle or in the
abdomen.
-Before applying AED pads, remove any medication patches with a gloved hand and
wipe away any remaining medication from the skin.
-Time is critical in a cardiac arrest situation and chest hair rarely interferes with pad
adhesion. However, if the patient has a great deal of chest hair that could interfere with
pad-to-skin contact, quickly shave the areas where the pads will be placed before
attaching the AED pads.
-A patient's jewelry or body piercings do not need to be removed before using an AED,
but avoid placing the AED pads directly over any metallic jewelry or piercings. Adjust
pad placement if necessary.
✔✔AED environmental considerations - ✔✔-Do not use an AED around flammable or
combustible materials such as free-flowing oxygen.
-It is safe to use an AED when a patient is lying on a metal surface, as long as
appropriate precautions are taken. Do not allow the AED pads to contact the metal
surface, and ensure that no one is touching the patient when the shock is delivered.
-If the patient is lying in a large puddle or submerged in water, remove them from the
water before using an AED. However, if they are lying in a small puddle or wet surface,
you do not need to remove them providing you and the AED are not in the small puddle.
, Also, remove a patient's wet clothing from the chest and wipe the patient's chest dry
before placing the AED pads. Avoid getting the AED or AED pads wet.
-AEDs are safe to use in all weather conditions, including rain and snow. Provide a dry
environment if possible, but do not delay defibrillation to do so. Remove a patient's wet
clothing from the chest and wipe the patient's chest dry before placing the AED pads.
Avoid getting the AED or AED pads wet.
✔✔AED Maintenance - ✔✔As with any biomedical device, routine maintenance is
necessary to ensure that the device performs properly and safely. AEDs require minimal
maintenance, but it is important to check them regularly according to the manufacturer's
instructions or your facility's policy to ensure that they are in good working order and
ready to use whenever they are needed.
-Familiarize yourself with the owner's manual and follow the manufacturer's instructions
for maintaining the equipment.
-Familiarize yourself with the method the AED uses to indicate the status of the device.
Many AEDs have a status indicator that displays a symbol or illuminates to indicate that
the AED is in proper working order and ready to respond.
-The status indicator may also display symbols indicating routine maintenance (e.g., a
battery change) is needed or that a problem with the device has been detected. Some
AEDs have a warning indicator that illuminates or beeps if the AED is not in proper
working order or is not ready to respond.
-Make sure the battery is properly installed and within its expiration date.
-Make sure AED pads are adequately stocked, stored in a sealed package and within
their expiration date.
-After using the AED, make sure that all supplies are restocked and that the device is in
proper working order.
-If at any time the AED fails to work properly or warning indicators illuminate or beep,
take the AED out of service based on manufacturer's recommendations and contact the
manufacturer or the appropriate person at your facility, according to your facility's policy.
✔✔AED Single Provider - ✔✔-If you do not have an AED with you, call for help and
begin CPR. If you have no way of calling for help, place the patient in the recovery
position and get the AED.
-Turn on the AED and follow the prompts, then expose the patient's chest.
-Attach the AED pads using an anterior/lateral or anterior/posterior position according to
the manufacturer's recommendation.
-If necessary, plug in the connector and push the analyze button.
-Tell everyone to "clear" while the AED analyzes. No one, including you, should be
touching the patient.
-If the AED advises a shock, again tell everyone to "clear." Press the shock button to
deliver the shock, then immediately begin CPR. You do not need to wait for the AED
prompt.
-Continue for about 2 minutes until:
-The AED prompts that it is reanalyzing.
-The patient shows signs of return of spontaneous circulation.
-Other trained providers arrive and relieve you.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Mouth-to-Nose Ventilations - ✔✔If you are unable to make a complete seal over the
patient's mouth, you may need to use mouth-to-nose ventilations instead.
-With the patient's head tilted back, close the mouth by pushing up on the chin.
-Seal your mouth around the patient's nose and breathe into the nose.
-If possible, open the patient's mouth between ventilations to allow air to escape.
✔✔Adjuncts to Ventilations - ✔✔-Adjuncts to ventilations include supplemental oxygen,
basic airways and advanced airways. Always follow your facility protocols when using
adjuncts to ventilations. A trained and authorized provider can provide supplemental
oxygen or insert an advanced airway as long as it does not delay the administration of
chest compressions, ventilations or defibrillation.
-Although a BLS provider is not always responsible for providing supplemental oxygen
or inserting an advanced airway, you do need to know how to provide ventilations and
monitor the patient while they are in place.
-Ventilations using a BVM resuscitator deliver approximately 20% to 21% oxygen
concentration to the patient. Attaching high-concentration supplemental oxygen to a
BVM resuscitator can increase the oxygen concentration to approximately 90% to 100%
and is recommended as soon as it is available. When supplemental oxygen is attached
to a BVM resuscitator, ventilations are performed the same way.
-If a basic airway is in place, care is performed the same way. However, if an advanced
airway is in place, care must be performed a little differently. If the patient is in
respiratory arrest, deliver 1 ventilation every 6 seconds. If the patient is in cardiac arrest,
one provider delivers 1 ventilation every 6 seconds while another provider performs
continuous chest compressions (i.e., providers do not pause for ventilations). Therefore,
the 30:2 compression-to-ventilation ratio does not apply.
✔✔CPR Cycles - ✔✔-For adult patients, high-quality CPR includes 30 chest
compressions followed by 2 ventilations. Remember, when an advanced airway is in
place, the 30:2 ratio does not apply.
-When drowning or other hypoxic event is suspected as the cause of cardiac arrest,
deliver two initial ventilations before starting CPR.
-During single-provider CPR, one provider performs chest compressions and delivers
ventilations. However, during multiple-provider CPR, one provider performs chest
compressions while one or two other providers manage the airway and deliver
ventilations. Remember, providers must smoothly transition between compressions and
ventilations to minimize interruptions in compressions to less than 10 seconds.
✔✔You enter your patient's room and find them lying supine in bed seemingly
unresponsive. After performing a rapid assessment and determining your patient is in
cardiac arrest, you call for additional resources and an AED. How soon after
,recognizing cardiac arrest should you begin compressions? - ✔✔Begin chest
compressions within 10 seconds.
✔✔After exposing the patient's chest, how should your hands be positioned? - ✔✔Two
hands, one on top of the other, fingers interlaced
✔✔Now that your hands are positioned correctly, where should you place them on the
patient's torso? - ✔✔The correct hand position to perform chest compressions is the
center of the patient's chest on the lower half of the sternum.
✔✔AED Device Notes - ✔✔-Some AEDs and manual defibrillators allow for
compressions after the device analyzes the rhythm, while it is charging. Providers may
perform compressions from the time the shock-advised prompt is noted through the
time that the clear prompt occurs, just before depressing the shock button. Be sure to
follow the manufacturer's recommendations and your facility's protocols.
-If a monitor defibrillator is available, it may have an AED function. Although the device
may look different, follow the same steps.
✔✔AED Safety - ✔✔-It is safe to use an AED on a woman who is pregnant. Remember,
the baby's best chance of survival is the mother's survival.
-It is safe to use an AED on a woman who is pregnant. Remember, the baby's best
chance of survival is the mother's survival.
-You should use an AED if a patient is in cardiac arrest and has a pacemaker or ICD.
However, you should adjust the pad placement to avoid placing the AED pads directly
over the device, because doing so may interfere with the delivery of the shock. A
pacemaker or ICD may be placed in the right upper chest near the clavicle or in the
abdomen.
-Before applying AED pads, remove any medication patches with a gloved hand and
wipe away any remaining medication from the skin.
-Time is critical in a cardiac arrest situation and chest hair rarely interferes with pad
adhesion. However, if the patient has a great deal of chest hair that could interfere with
pad-to-skin contact, quickly shave the areas where the pads will be placed before
attaching the AED pads.
-A patient's jewelry or body piercings do not need to be removed before using an AED,
but avoid placing the AED pads directly over any metallic jewelry or piercings. Adjust
pad placement if necessary.
✔✔AED environmental considerations - ✔✔-Do not use an AED around flammable or
combustible materials such as free-flowing oxygen.
-It is safe to use an AED when a patient is lying on a metal surface, as long as
appropriate precautions are taken. Do not allow the AED pads to contact the metal
surface, and ensure that no one is touching the patient when the shock is delivered.
-If the patient is lying in a large puddle or submerged in water, remove them from the
water before using an AED. However, if they are lying in a small puddle or wet surface,
you do not need to remove them providing you and the AED are not in the small puddle.
, Also, remove a patient's wet clothing from the chest and wipe the patient's chest dry
before placing the AED pads. Avoid getting the AED or AED pads wet.
-AEDs are safe to use in all weather conditions, including rain and snow. Provide a dry
environment if possible, but do not delay defibrillation to do so. Remove a patient's wet
clothing from the chest and wipe the patient's chest dry before placing the AED pads.
Avoid getting the AED or AED pads wet.
✔✔AED Maintenance - ✔✔As with any biomedical device, routine maintenance is
necessary to ensure that the device performs properly and safely. AEDs require minimal
maintenance, but it is important to check them regularly according to the manufacturer's
instructions or your facility's policy to ensure that they are in good working order and
ready to use whenever they are needed.
-Familiarize yourself with the owner's manual and follow the manufacturer's instructions
for maintaining the equipment.
-Familiarize yourself with the method the AED uses to indicate the status of the device.
Many AEDs have a status indicator that displays a symbol or illuminates to indicate that
the AED is in proper working order and ready to respond.
-The status indicator may also display symbols indicating routine maintenance (e.g., a
battery change) is needed or that a problem with the device has been detected. Some
AEDs have a warning indicator that illuminates or beeps if the AED is not in proper
working order or is not ready to respond.
-Make sure the battery is properly installed and within its expiration date.
-Make sure AED pads are adequately stocked, stored in a sealed package and within
their expiration date.
-After using the AED, make sure that all supplies are restocked and that the device is in
proper working order.
-If at any time the AED fails to work properly or warning indicators illuminate or beep,
take the AED out of service based on manufacturer's recommendations and contact the
manufacturer or the appropriate person at your facility, according to your facility's policy.
✔✔AED Single Provider - ✔✔-If you do not have an AED with you, call for help and
begin CPR. If you have no way of calling for help, place the patient in the recovery
position and get the AED.
-Turn on the AED and follow the prompts, then expose the patient's chest.
-Attach the AED pads using an anterior/lateral or anterior/posterior position according to
the manufacturer's recommendation.
-If necessary, plug in the connector and push the analyze button.
-Tell everyone to "clear" while the AED analyzes. No one, including you, should be
touching the patient.
-If the AED advises a shock, again tell everyone to "clear." Press the shock button to
deliver the shock, then immediately begin CPR. You do not need to wait for the AED
prompt.
-Continue for about 2 minutes until:
-The AED prompts that it is reanalyzing.
-The patient shows signs of return of spontaneous circulation.
-Other trained providers arrive and relieve you.
