What should a healthcare worker do if a victim has stopped breathing but has a palpable pulse?

In a situation where a victim has stopped breathing but still has a palpable pulse, the appropriate action for a healthcare worker is to begin rescue breathing. This is because the presence of a pulse indicates that the heart is still functioning, and ongoing circulation is crucial. However, the lack of breathing means that oxygen is not being delivered to the body’s tissues, which can lead to hypoxia.

Rescue breathing involves providing breaths to the victim to ensure that their lungs are filled with oxygen, thereby assisting with oxygenation without compromising the heart's activity. It is important to monitor the pulse during this process, and if the pulse should be lost or become unpalpable, then chest compressions and full CPR should be initiated.

Options that suggest performing chest compressions or administering CPR are inappropriate in this scenario, as these actions are intended for cases of cardiac arrest where there is no pulse present. Checking for consciousness may also be irrelevant since the primary concern is restoring effective breathing, which takes precedence over consciousness assessment when breathing is absent.