You can enhance blood flow during CPR by:

• A. compressing at the fastest rate possible
• B. pushing fast and interposing breaths
• C. compressing the chest without relaxing
• D. pushing hard and pushing fast

Answer: (D)

During CPR the amount of blood moved depends on how deep each compression goes and how quickly you perform them. Pushing hard ensures the chest is compressed enough to eject blood from the heart, while pushing fast maintains a rhythm that keeps blood circulating to vital organs. Together, these elements maximize the pressure gradient that drives blood through the arteries, improving perfusion to the heart and brain. It’s also important to allow full chest recoil between compressions so the heart can fill again, and to minimize interruptions in compressions, since pauses cause perfusion pressure to drop. Shallow compressions or stopping to breathe or to perform other actions disrupts flow, and not allowing full recoil hinders venous return, both of which reduce effectiveness.