Which method of chest compressions is correct when performing a cardiac massage to an adult?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
A. Pressing downwards with two hands placed in the centre of the chest.
Explanation
In the photo a rescuer in a high-visibility vest is talking on the phone, standing next to a woman lying on her back. You compress an adult's chest with both hands placed in the centre of the chest - answer A.
The Road Traffic Act requires a driver involved in an accident in which someone is injured to give the necessary help to the victims and to call an emergency medical team - in the photo the rescuer is calling for help. For an adult, you place the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest, on the lower half of the breastbone (sternum), put the other hand on top of it, interlock your fingers and press with straight arms, using your whole body weight. With one hand just below the breastbone (answer B) you will not get the right depth, and you may damage the abdominal organs. Two fingers (answer C) are used to compress the chest of a baby, not an adult.
Legal basis: Art. 44 para. 2 point 1 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym); Art. 162 § 1 of the Criminal Code