What is the primary goal of basic life support (BLS)?

The primary goal of basic life support (BLS) is to oxygenate the tissues through compressions and ventilation. This process is critical in emergency situations when a person's heart has stopped beating or when they are not breathing adequately. BLS techniques, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), focus on ensuring that sufficient blood flow and oxygen are delivered to vital organs, particularly the brain, to prevent irreversible damage.

By performing chest compressions, rescuers can manually circulate blood through the body, while rescue breaths provide essential oxygen to the lungs. This combination aims to sustain life and buy time until advanced medical support can take over with more definitive care.

Other options, while important in different contexts, do not encompass the main purpose of BLS as specifically as the correct choice does. Maintaining airway patency is crucial but is a component of BLS rather than its primary goal. Likewise, stabilizing a patient for surgery and administering medications are beyond the scope of BLS and are related to advanced life support, which comes into play only after BLS has been effectively performed.