A 94-year-old woman has no observable breathing but retains a pulse. What is your immediate action?

When encountering a situation where a patient, such as a 94-year-old woman, shows no observable breathing but has a pulse, the appropriate immediate action is to perform rescue breathing. This is because the absence of breathing indicates that the patient is not ventilating adequately, which can lead to insufficient oxygen supply to the body, even though the heart is still beating and maintaining circulation.

Rescue breathing aims to provide the necessary oxygen directly into the patient's lungs, thereby ensuring that oxygenated blood continues to circulate throughout the body. This action is vital when the patient has a pulse but is not breathing, as every moment counts in preventing potential damage to vital organs from hypoxia.

Engaging in chest compressions is primarily reserved for situations where there is no pulse, which means the heart is not effectively circulating blood. Checking for a pulse every 30 seconds would not address the immediate need for oxygenation and could result in further deterioration of the patient's condition. Calling for additional assistance may be necessary after initiating rescue breathing, but the first step must be to address the lack of respiration directly.