An unresponsive 1-year-old male is apneic and pulseless. What should you instruct your partner to do first?

In this scenario, where the 1-year-old male is both apneic (not breathing) and pulseless, the most critical action is to begin chest compressions. This is vital because chest compressions are necessary to manually circulate blood and maintain perfusion to vital organs, especially the heart and brain.

Starting chest compressions is a key component of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) process, particularly in a child, where the signs of cardiac arrest can be subtle yet life-threatening. The guidelines emphasize that in cases of unresponsiveness and absence of pulse, initiating compressions should be the priority to address the lack of blood flow, as this can have immediate consequences on survival outcomes.

Ventilating the child or applying an AED comes after the compressions have begun because without effective circulation provided by compressions, any ventilation or defibrillation would have significantly reduced effectiveness. Applying sterile dressings, although important in other scenarios, is not relevant in a cardiac arrest situation and does not address the immediate life-threatening issues at hand. Therefore, the correct first action is to initiate chest compressions without delay.