Which of the following is NOT a complication associated with chest compressions?

• A. rib fractures
• B. liver laceration
• C. gastric distention
• D. a fractured sternum

Answer: (C)

Chest compressions during CPR can produce injuries from the force of pressing on the chest. The most common direct injuries involve the bones and nearby organs: ribs can crack, the sternum can fracture, and in some cases the liver can be damaged by the downward pressure. Gastric distention, on the other hand, is more about air entering the stomach during ventilation rather than the compressions themselves. If breaths are given improperly or with too much volume, air can inflate the stomach, but that’s a ventilation issue, not a direct result of the chest compressions. So the option describing gastric distention is not a direct complication of the compressions themselves.