A Lifesaving Guide

1.0 Introduction: Why This Skill Matters

In a medical emergency, your actions can be the critical difference between life and death. Learning artificial respiration is one of the most powerful skills you can acquire. In simple terms, artificial respiration is a first-aid procedure used to supply oxygen to someone who has stopped breathing or cannot breathe effectively on their own. When breathing stops due to events like drowning, electrical shock, or cardiac arrest, the body’s vital organs, especially the brain, are deprived of oxygen. Irreversible damage can occur in just a few minutes. Your ability to perform these steps quickly and correctly provides a crucial bridge of life support and can be the critical difference between life and death.

2.0 The First Three Steps: Scene, Response, and Help

Before you begin any hands-on procedure, you must assess the situation. These first three actions are non-negotiable and set the stage for a safe and effective rescue.

1. Ensure Safety Your first priority is to check the immediate environment for any ongoing dangers, such as traffic, fire, or live electrical wires. You must ensure the scene is safe for both you and the person in need before you approach.
2. Check for Consciousness Determine if the person is responsive. If they do not respond to you, they are unconscious and you must proceed with the next step immediately.
3. Call for Emergency Help You must call for professional medical help right away. Call your local emergency number (e.g., 112) yourself or point to another person and instruct them to make the call. Getting professional help on the way is a critical part of the rescue process.

Once the scene is secure and help has been called, you can begin the hands-on process of assisting the person.

3.0 Preparing the Person: Airway and Breathing Check

Properly preparing the person is essential for your rescue breaths to be effective. This involves positioning them correctly and checking for signs of breathing.

3.1 Position the Person and Open the Airway

Place the person on their back on a firm, flat surface. To open the airway, use the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver: place one hand on their forehead and gently tilt the head back. At the same time, use two fingers of your other hand to lift the bony part of the chin. This crucial action pulls the tongue away from the back of the throat, clearing the airway.

3.2 Check for Breathing: Look, Listen, and Feel

With the airway open, you must check if the person is breathing normally. This check should last for exactly 10 seconds.

• Look: Watch the chest to see if it is rising and falling.
• Listen: Place your ear close to the person’s mouth and nose to listen for any breathing sounds.
• Feel: Feel for the warmth or movement of their breath against your cheek.

If you see no signs of normal breathing after 10 seconds, you must begin giving rescue breaths immediately.

Now that you have confirmed the person is not breathing, it is time to perform artificial respiration.

4.0 How to Give Rescue Breaths

Follow these steps carefully to deliver effective rescue breaths.

1. Pinch the person’s nose closed using your thumb and index finger. This prevents the air you provide from escaping through their nose.
2. Take a normal, not overly deep, breath.
3. Create an airtight seal by placing your mouth completely over the person’s mouth.
4. Give one slow breath for approximately 1 second. The breath should be just strong enough to make you see their chest visibly rise.
5. Remove your mouth from the person’s and watch for their chest to fall as the air is exhaled.
6. Repeat the process by giving a second successful breath.

The key is to watch the chest. A rising chest confirms that your breaths are successfully entering the lungs.

Rescue breaths are a critical component of first aid, but they are often performed as part of a larger procedure called CPR.

5.0 Combining Breaths with Chest Compressions (CPR)

If an adult is unresponsive and not breathing normally after your 10-second check, you must assume cardiac arrest and begin Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) immediately. CPR combines chest compressions with rescue breaths to circulate oxygenated blood and keep vital organs alive.

The core CPR cycle combines compressions and breaths in a continuous loop.

6.0 Conclusion: Your Actions Can Save a Life

In a crisis, every second counts. By following these steps, you provide a vital bridge of life support, giving a person their best chance of survival until professional medical teams can take over. Learning this skill empowers you to act confidently and effectively when it matters most. Remember: in an emergency, the most important step is to act. Your willingness to help can save a life.