Rescue Breathing
Respiratory complications are the common precursors of cardiac arrest. It is, therefore, crucial to detect problems in respiration in order to take action against cardiac arrest.
When a patient of any age has a pulse but is not breathing (or is not breathing comfortably and normally), quickly open the airway using the head-tilt/chin-lift maneuver and start releasing breaths. See Table2 for details about rescue breathing.
Age Group | How Often | Breaths per Minute | Duration | Evaluation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Adult | every 5 to 6 seconds | 10 to 12 breaths per minute | each breath should last one second | check for chest rise and breathing; check pulse and begin CPR if necessary |
Child/Infant | every 2 to 3 seconds | 20 to 30 breaths per minute |
Table 2