What should a responder do first when drowning is the suspected cause of cardiac arrest?

When drowning is suspected as the cause of cardiac arrest, the first action a responder should take is to give 2 breaths. This is crucial because drowning often leads to a lack of oxygen, and providing rescue breaths helps to oxygenate the lungs and can be vital in reviving the individual. The key principle here is that in cases where breathing has been compromised, re-establishing oxygen flow is paramount.

Effective rescue breaths can help to restore oxygen levels in the blood, which is essential for both brain and bodily function, especially in the crucial moments following a drowning incident. After delivering these breaths, the responder would then proceed with chest compressions and call for emergency help, but initiating the rescue with breaths directly addresses the respiratory issue commonly faced in drowning scenarios.

Embarking on compressions alone without prior rescue breaths could be less effective in situations where oxygen is critically low due to drowning. Similarly, while assessing the breathing rate or calling for emergency help are both important steps in the overall process, they should occur after addressing the immediate need to provide rescue breaths in this specific context.