Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, also known as rescue breathing, is a technique used to provide air to someone who has stopped breathing or is not breathing effectively. Its purpose is to deliver oxygen to a person’s lungs, sustaining life until professional medical help arrives. This method is a component of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), a life-saving procedure performed when a person’s heart and breathing have stopped. It involves a rescuer manually providing breaths to the victim.
The Science of Oxygen Delivery
Delivering breaths through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation provides oxygen to the lungs, which is then circulated throughout the body. Oxygen enters the bloodstream through tiny air sacs in the lungs called alveoli, where it binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells and is transported to every cell. This oxygen is essential for cells to produce energy, ensuring the proper functioning of organs, especially the brain and heart. Without sufficient oxygen, brain damage can begin within minutes, underscoring the urgency of providing breaths when a person’s own breathing has failed. Even the rescuer’s exhaled air, containing approximately 17% oxygen, is sufficient to sustain life.
Emergencies Requiring Rescue Breaths
Rescue breaths are particularly critical in specific emergencies where the primary issue is a lack of oxygen. In cases of drowning, a person’s lungs fill with water, leading to severe oxygen deprivation before the heart stops. Similarly, an opioid overdose often causes respiratory depression, meaning breathing becomes very slow or stops, leading to hypoxia. For infants and children, cardiac arrest frequently results from respiratory problems, making oxygen delivery through rescue breaths immediately important. Providing prompt oxygen through rescue breaths can significantly improve outcomes by preventing further oxygen depletion and subsequent organ damage.
Modern CPR Recommendations
Current guidelines differentiate between conventional CPR, which includes both chest compressions and rescue breaths, and hands-only CPR, which involves only chest compressions. Hands-only CPR is recommended for untrained bystanders who witness a sudden collapse in an adult, typically presumed to be of cardiac origin. The person often has enough residual oxygen in their blood for a few minutes, making continuous compressions the priority. However, conventional CPR with rescue breaths remains essential for trained rescuers and in situations where the cause is respiratory, such as drowning, drug overdose, or for all infants and children. Call emergency services, like 911, immediately when someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
How to Administer Rescue Breaths
To administer rescue breaths, first ensure the area is safe and check for responsiveness by tapping the person and shouting. If there is no response and they are not breathing normally, position them on their back on a firm surface. Open the airway using the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver: place one hand on their forehead and gently tilt the head back while lifting the chin with the fingers of your other hand. This action moves the tongue away from the back of the throat, clearing the airway.
Pinch the person’s nose closed, take a normal breath, and make a complete seal over their mouth with your own. Deliver one breath lasting about one second, observing for the chest to visibly rise. Allow the chest to fall before delivering a second breath.