During CPR for a child with respiratory arrest and a pulse less than 60 bpm, what action should you take?

When dealing with a child in respiratory arrest who also has a heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute, initiating CPR immediately is crucial. This is because a pulse less than 60 bpm in a child, especially with accompanying respiratory arrest, indicates inadequate circulation and possibly a life-threatening situation. By starting CPR, you are providing necessary chest compressions and oxygenation that can help maintain blood flow to vital organs.

Furthermore, the guideline to reassess every 2 minutes ensures that you are closely monitoring the child’s condition and can make adjustments to your care as needed. This frequent reassessment is important in pediatric care since conditions can change rapidly, and you may need to provide additional interventions based on the child’s response.

Continuing CPR while reassessing every 5 minutes may not be frequent enough in a critical situation. Similarly, solely providing rescue breaths or stopping CPR when they breathe normally would not address the urgent need for effective circulation when their heart rate is critically low. Therefore, starting CPR and reassessing every 2 minutes is the most appropriate response in this scenario.