BLS primary survey for respiratory arrest: Basic life support

Written by

Version control: Our ACLS, PALS & BLS courses follow 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and ECC. American Heart Association guidelines are updated every five years. If you are reading this in January 2026 or later, please and we will update this page.

The main focus of the BLS Primary Survey is early CPR and early defibrillation, if needed. For a patient in respiratory arrest, however, the focus is on breathing and airway issues. The process starts with assessing the patient and then perform an appropriate action. Each step in the survey has an assessment and actions to follow.

Assessment Action
Is the patient breathing? Look for the rise and fall of the patient's chest.
Does the patient have a pulse? The healthcare provider can take 5–10 seconds to check for a pulse.
AED When the AED arrives, turn it on and follow the prompts
Basic Life Support (BLS) Primary Survey for Respiratory Arrest

Is the patient breathing NORMALLY? (small gasping breaths are not considered normal.

If no pulse – BEGIN COMPRESSIONS at a rate of 100/min to 120/min.

If not sure if a pulse is present, BEGIN COMPRESSIONS at a rate of 100/min to 120/min.

If pulse is present and breathing absent, begin ventilation at a rate of 10 per minute or once every 6 seconds using mouth to mouth or bag valve mask.

The last step, defibrillation, is part of the primary survey, but is not required for respiratory arrest as the patient has a pulse for this case. Therefore the AED will advise the user "no shock advised, continue CPR if necessary."

Get the auto reminder for recertification.

Planning to certify/recertify ACLS?

Get a reminder when you need to take the exam

Loading... Thanks, email containing all the resources sent to your inbox. Mail failed, Please recheck your email address and try again. Please enter a valid email address.

Please verify or enter a different email address:

How we reviewed this article

Our experts continually monitor the medical science space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current version
Mar 15, 2022

Copy edited by:

Copy editors
Changes: Copy edit and respiratory survey protocol review
Mar 14, 2022

Written by:

Judy Haluka