The nurse reviews a cardiac-arrest record for an adult with an advanced airway. Click the check at which the sharpest improvement in capnography still did not justify withholding chest compressions after the brief pulse assessment.

C. C shows the largest ETCO2 rise, but the central pulse remains absent, so compressions must resume.

An abrupt sustained CO2 increase may suggest return of circulation, but it is not proof by itself. At C, the value rises from 10 to 35 mm Hg while the documented pulse remains absent. Do not prolong the check or withhold compressions solely because the monitor looks improved.

The observations are fictional teaching data. Apply the stated context; the selected feature does not by itself replace a complete bedside assessment.

Treat a CO2 rise as a cue to assess circulation, not as a substitute for that assessment.

Treat a CO2 rise as a cue to assess circulation, not as a substitute for that assessment.

A has a low value and no earlier displayed comparison. B improves only slightly, from 8 to 10. D has a confirmed pulse, unlike C. An organized electrical rhythm at C does not establish mechanical circulation.

• Capnography trend does not replace pulse assessment — Treat a CO2 rise as a cue to assess circulation, not as a substitute for that assessment.
• Comparison with context — D has a similar CO2 value, but the pulse finding distinguishes it from C.