A 52 year-old male has collapsed on his front porch and his family dialed 911. When you arrive, the daughter informs you that the patient has been down for approximately eight minutes. Assessment reveals him to be in cardiac arrest. Which one of the following should you do immediately?
a. Perform five cycles of CPR at a ratio of 15 compressions to 2 ventilations.
b. Perform two minutes of CPR before analyzing the heart rhythm.
c. Apply electrodes to the patient and follow the AED's prompts.
d. Contact medical direction for permission to use the AED given the downtime.
Answer: B