You and your partner arrive at the side of a 60-year-old woman who suddenly collapsed about 7 minutes ago. She is unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless. You should:

Performing CPR for about 2 minutes before applying the AED is the most effective course of action in this scenario. When a patient is unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless, immediate high-quality CPR is critical. This helps maintain blood flow to vital organs, especially the brain and heart, until defibrillation can be performed.

The current guidelines emphasize the importance of starting CPR as soon as possible, as it can significantly improve the chances of survival in cases of cardiac arrest. The action of initiating CPR first ensures that compressions are being delivered to keep blood circulating, which is vital during the first few minutes after the collapse.

After performing CPR for about two minutes, the AED should then be applied. This allows the device to assess the heart rhythm and determine whether a shock is indicated, which can restore a normal rhythm and potentially save the patient’s life. This sequence aligns with established protocols in emergency care and contributes to better outcomes in cases of cardiac arrest.