Rescue breathing is a first aid technique used to provide oxygen to someone who has stopped breathing but still has a pulse. This intervention helps maintain essential oxygenation of the person’s lungs and vital organs until professional medical assistance arrives. Delivering breaths at the correct rate is important for effective oxygen delivery and to avoid potential complications.
Understanding Proper Ventilation Rate
The rate at which rescue breaths are delivered significantly impacts their effectiveness. If breaths are given too quickly, a condition known as hyperventilation can occur. Hyperventilation increases pressure inside the chest, which can reduce the amount of blood returning to the heart. This decreased blood return can lower the heart’s pumping efficiency and reduce blood flow to the brain and other organs. Additionally, rapid or forceful breaths can cause air to enter the stomach, leading to gastric inflation, which might result in vomiting and aspiration.
Conversely, if breaths are delivered too slowly, the person may not receive enough oxygen. This can lead to a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood, a state called hypercapnia, and insufficient oxygen levels, known as hypoxemia. Both conditions can severely affect organ function, particularly the brain, which is highly susceptible to oxygen deprivation.
Recommended Ventilation Rates by Age
Current guidelines from resuscitation organizations provide specific ventilation rates tailored to different age groups. For adults, when rescue breathing is performed without an advanced airway, the recommended rate is one breath every 5 to 6 seconds, which translates to about 10 to 12 breaths per minute. Each breath should be delivered steadily over approximately one second. If an advanced airway is in place, the rate shifts to one breath every 6 seconds, or 10 breaths per minute, with continuous chest compressions.
For children, generally defined as those from one year to puberty, the recommended rate is one breath every 2 to 3 seconds, equating to 20 to 30 breaths per minute. This higher rate accounts for children’s faster metabolic rates and smaller lung capacities. Infants, categorized as under one year of age, also require one breath every 2 to 3 seconds, or 20 to 30 breaths per minute. For infants, breaths should be gentle puffs, just enough to make the chest visibly rise.
Ensuring Effective Rescue Breaths
Delivering effective rescue breaths involves more than just knowing the correct rate; proper technique is also necessary. The first step is to ensure an open airway, typically achieved using the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver. This involves gently tilting the head back while lifting the chin to move the tongue away from the back of the throat. If a spinal injury is suspected, a jaw-thrust maneuver is used to open the airway without moving the head.
Achieving a proper seal is important to ensure air enters the lungs and does not escape. For mouth-to-mouth breathing, the rescuer pinches the person’s nostrils shut and forms a tight seal with their mouth over the person’s mouth. For infants, the rescuer’s mouth should cover both the infant’s mouth and nose to create a seal.
Observing a visible rise of the chest with each breath confirms that air is entering the lungs effectively. Avoid delivering breaths with excessive force or volume, providing just enough air to see the chest rise. After each breath, allow the chest to fall to permit exhalation before delivering the next breath.