First Aid: Basics Of Rescue Breathing

Before beginning, however, it should be noted that any sort of first aid should be administered only after you have received training from a certified professional. What follows is meant to only serve as a guide of what to expect should you decide to go for further training. Training and certification can be received through your local branch of the Red Cross, or various other community health organizations. If you don't have the proper training, it's possible that you can make a bad situation even worse. This is what you should expect if you decide to receive training in rescue breathing.

Should you come upon someone who is unconscious and not breathing, or if you are around someone who falls ill or is injured resulting in their breathing stopping, you need to be sure that you don't panic. Call or send someone for an ambulance or other medical help, and attend to the victim until that help arrives. Check for a pulse; if you can feel one, even if it is faint, then you know that their heart is still beating. You only need to reestablish their breathing, which can be done using the following technique.

Tilt the victim's head back and pull down slightly on their chin; this will open the airway as well as their mouth. Pinch the victim's nose closed and place your mouth over theirs, forming a seal, and breathe slowly into their mouth. Watch to see if their chest rises... if it doesn't, then their airway is obstructed and no air can reach their lungs. Straddle the victim's thighs, link your hands one on top of the other, and place the heel of your bottom hand on the victim's abdomen (above the belly button, but below the breastbone.) Thrust in and upward with your hands quickly 5 times, sweep the back of the victim's throat with your finger to remove any blockage that may have become dislodged, and administer 2 quick breaths. Watch for the chest to rise; if it doesn't, repeat the thrusts and sweep.

Once the airway is clear and the chest rises with your breaths, try to reestablish the body's natural breathing rhythm. Deliver 2 breaths to the victim, allowing time in between for their body to expel the air naturally. Begin delivering 1 breath every 5 seconds, inhaling on second 4 and breathing into the victim on second 5. (You can count off the seconds by saying "one-one thousand, two-one thousand," etc.) After one minute, stop the breathing and check again for a pulse. Should the pulse stop, begin CPR immediately.

Most modern first aid kits contain resuscitation masks, devices to be used in rescue breathing to prevent the spread of disease. The masks fit over the victim's mouth and have a small port for you to breathe in to, thus eliminating the need to go directly mouth-to-mouth with the victim. These masks should be used if at all possible, to protect both the victim and yourself from infection and disease.

Rescue breathing can be used to save a life, or to keep air flowing into the lungs of someone who is not breathing until medical help can arrive. Along with CPR, it is a first aid technique that is highly recommended to learn and to stay certified in. Who knows, one day you may have to use it to save a life.