Basic resuscitation: agonal breathing: practice question

A Anaesthesia question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anaesthesia · Basic resuscitation: agonal breathing

Sample item

A man collapses in a market. He is unresponsive, and a trained rescuer sees only occasional slow snoring gasps about twice a minute and cannot feel a carotid pulse within 10 seconds. What should be done?

AGive rescue breaths alone and recheck in two minutesBPlace him in the recovery position and monitorCObserve for another two minutes for normal breathingDTreat as cardiac arrest and start compressions

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Treat as cardiac arrest and start compressions

Agonal gasps are slow, irregular, noisy reflex breaths seen in the first minutes of cardiac arrest and are not normal breathing. An unresponsive person who is not breathing normally and has no pulse needs immediate chest compressions and defibrillation as soon as available.

Option by option

A. Give rescue breaths alone and recheck in two minutes
Rescue breaths without compressions do nothing when the circulation has stopped.
B. Place him in the recovery position and monitor
The recovery position is for an unresponsive person who is breathing normally, which is not the case here.
C. Observe for another two minutes for normal breathing
Waiting wastes minutes of no-flow time and reduces the chance of survival.
D. Treat as cardiac arrest and start compressions (correct)
Correct. Gasping is not effective breathing, so the person is treated as being in cardiac arrest.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Anaesthesia question

What is the answer to this Anaesthesia question?

The best answer is D, Treat as cardiac arrest and start compressions. Agonal gasps are slow, irregular, noisy reflex breaths seen in the first minutes of cardiac arrest and are not normal breathing.

Why is "Give rescue breaths alone and recheck in two minutes" not the answer?

Rescue breaths without compressions do nothing when the circulation has stopped.

Why is "Place him in the recovery position and monitor" not the answer?

The recovery position is for an unresponsive person who is breathing normally, which is not the case here.

Why is "Observe for another two minutes for normal breathing" not the answer?

Waiting wastes minutes of no-flow time and reduces the chance of survival.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Basic resuscitation: agonal breathing in Anaesthesia. An unresponsive person who is not breathing normally and has no pulse needs immediate chest compressions and defibrillation as soon as available.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Basic resuscitation: agonal breathing?

Make a table of each agent, its key advantage and its main side effect. Then use the flashcards and the other Anaesthesia questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.