Between chest compressions, what should you do with the chest?

• A. Allow the chest to return to its normal position.
• B. Hold the chest down to keep it depressed.
• C. Re-inflate the chest with breaths.
• D. Remove hands briefly.

Answer: (A)

Full chest recoil after each compression is essential. Letting the chest rise back to its normal position allows blood to flow back into the heart and continue circulating to vital organs like the brain. If you keep the chest pressed down, you impede this rebound, reducing blood flow and the overall effectiveness of CPR. Re-inflating the chest with breaths is done as part of the ventilation step, not as the action between compressions, and removing hands briefly would interrupt the ongoing sequence. So, the best action is to let the chest return to its normal position after each compression.