What is the immediate action required after identifying a patient in respiratory arrest?

The immediate action required after identifying a patient in respiratory arrest is to deliver ventilations. When a patient is no longer breathing but has a heartbeat, the primary goal is to provide adequate oxygenation to prevent hypoxia, which can lead to brain injury or death within a matter of minutes.

Delivering ventilations directly addresses the respiratory failure by ensuring that oxygen is being introduced into the lungs, which can then be circulated to vital organs. This action should be performed promptly and effectively, using appropriate methods such as mouth-to-mouth or a bag-mask ventilation, depending on the resources available and the situation.

The focus should be on restoring adequate breathing with effective ventilations before considering other actions, like starting chest compressions, which are reserved for patients who have lost their pulse and are in cardiac arrest. Calling for help is also important, as additional assistance and advanced care are vital, but it typically follows immediately after initiating ventilations in a critical situation. Monitoring the pulse can be part of the ongoing assessment process but is not as immediate as ensuring the patient receives adequate ventilation.