Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Practice 2026 - Free CPR Practice Questions and Study Tips.

When preparing to perform CPR on an adult, the first critical step is to assess for responsiveness and check for breathing. This assessment is essential for determining whether the person needs immediate resuscitation efforts. By checking for responsiveness, you can understand if the individual is conscious or unconscious, which informs your next steps. Additionally, evaluating breathing helps to identify if the individual is in need of CPR. If a person is not breathing normally, this indicates a medical emergency requiring prompt action.

Performing this assessment first ensures that you prioritize actions based on the victim's condition, guiding you to either initiate CPR if they are unresponsive and not breathing or to activate emergency services if they are responsive. This step establishes whether immediate CPR is necessary, which is crucial for improving the chances of survival in cases of cardiac arrest. This situational awareness drives effective and timely intervention, which is foundational in CPR practice.