Current guidelines call for 30 chest compressions followed by two breaths when administering CPR. If a bystander delivered 60 compressions per minute and EMS arrived 4 minutes after the scene, how many compressions would be delivered before EMS arrived?

Current guidelines call for 30 chest compressions followed by two breaths when administering CPR. If a bystander delivered 60 compressions per minute and EMS arrived 4 minutes after the scene, how many compressions would be delivered before EMS arrived?

• A. 120
• B. 180
• C. 300
• D. 240

Answer: (D)

The main idea is counting how many compressions happen in a given time at a steady rate. If compressions occur at 60 per minute and four minutes pass before EMS arrives, you multiply the rate by the time: 60 × 4 = 240 compressions. The CPR cycle of 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths doesn’t change the total number of compressions delivered in those four minutes when the rate is given as 60 per minute—the breaths are separate actions and aren’t counted among the compressions. So, 240 compressions would have been delivered.

The main idea is counting how many compressions happen in a given time at a steady rate. If compressions occur at 60 per minute and four minutes pass before EMS arrives, you multiply the rate by the time: 60 × 4 = 240 compressions. The CPR cycle of 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths doesn’t change the total number of compressions delivered in those four minutes when the rate is given as 60 per minute—the breaths are separate actions and aren’t counted among the compressions. So, 240 compressions would have been delivered.