A 30-year-old male was rescued after being lost in the woods for approximately 18 hours. The outside temperature is 30°F (-1°C). He is immediately placed in the warmed ambulance, where you perform a primary assessment. He is unresponsive, pale, and apneic. You should:

You should assess for a carotid pulse for up to 60 seconds.

Explanation:

The carotid pulse (CP) is a pressure signal acquired over the carotid artery as it passes near the surface of the body at the neck. It delivers a pulse signal signifying the variations in arterial blood pressure and volume with each heartbeat. The 30-year-old man rescued after being lost in the woods is unresponsive, pale and apneic. The primary assessment to perform is assess for carotid pulse for up to 60 seconds.

ASSESS FOR A CAROTID PULSE FOR UP TO 45 MINUTES.

Explanation: Oweing to the fact that the temperature of the wood is low and the man has been there for up to 18hours leading to his pale, unresponsive and apneic state,the carotid pulse should be assessed to assess his cardiac performance, determine his cardiac rate and rhythm, establish the integrity of his peripheral arterial blood supply or localizing peripheral legions and generally to evaluate the status of the heart,this is because the carotid arteries play a vital role of transporting oxygenated blood from the heart to the brain.