Rescue breathing vs CPR

If you ever find yourself in the position to help someone who’s stopped breathing, knowing the difference between rescue breathing and CPR can mean the difference between life and death. So what exactly are the differences?

When should you choose one over the other? And most importantly, how do you know if the person you’re trying to help needs one or both of these life-saving procedures?

Here’s everything to learn about rescue breathing vs CPR.

What is Rescue Breathing?

The key component of rescue breathing is placing your mouth over your patient’s mouth and nose, forcing oxygen into their lungs, says Paul Pepe, M.D., division chief of emergency medicine at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia.

Unlike mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, which only ensures that oxygen gets into one lung, rescue breathing floods both lungs with air.

But it’s important to note that while rescue breathing won’t give you better results than CPR if someone goes into cardiac arrest from a heart attack or stroke, it’s still an important tool for stabilizing an unresponsive person until help arrives. Why? It buys time for you or someone else who knows how to do real chest compressions.

Resuscitation attempts serve two purposes:

Both are equally critical and one is not necessarily any better than another — instead, it depends on a number of factors unique to each situation.

Let’s take a look at what makes each type of resuscitation attempt unique by exploring rescue breathing vs CPR.

What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest?

In cardiac arrest, your heart is not beating well enough to circulate oxygenated blood through your body. This condition can cause death within minutes if it’s not treated immediately with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and/or defibrillation.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or what caused cardiac arrest; what matters is that you get help fast.

At a minimum, one bystander should call 911 while another bystander should start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Rescuers should continue performing chest compressions while they wait for EMS to arrive on the scene.

With such treatment, victims of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest have a 10% chance of survival — but only when done in less than 6 minutes.

Signs of Cardiac Arrest

According to WebMD, any one of these signs may indicate that a person is experiencing cardiac arrest, which is sometimes referred to as CPR needed or simply Code:

(1) They collapse.

(2) They experience shortness of breath or chest pain.

(3) They have no pulse.

(4) Their skin color appears bluish or pale.

If someone has had a heart attack and begins to experience these symptoms, immediately call 911. Do not give them anything by mouth and do not perform chest compressions unless you are trained in doing so — it could cause more harm than good in an emergency situation like this.

What is the Correct Ratio for Rescue Breaths?

The ratio of chest compressions to rescue breaths depends on which version of CPR you’re practising. If you’re following American Heart Association guidelines, give 30 chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths. If you’re following ACLSprotocols, which prioritize chest compressions, give two breaths every time you break for compressions.

Whichever method you choose, it is important that you do not stop performing one in favor of another — alternating compression and breath is recommended in both cases.

Doing so will allow the victim’s heart and lungs a chance to rest between each round of intervention, reducing the chances of fatigue or injury as well as providing more blood flow throughout the body.

Rescue Breathing vs CPR: How Do I Give Rescue Breaths?

To give rescue breaths to a non-responsive victim:

  • kneel next to them.
  • Place one hand on their forehead and tilt their head back slightly.
  •  Put your mouth over your patient’s mouth (or nose) so that their lips cover yours, then blow into their lungs slowly through their mouth (or nose). Make sure not to blow too hard because doing so could hurt them further.
  • Watch for chest movement while you do this—it will rise when they inhale, then fall again when they exhale naturally.
  •  Continue giving rescue breaths until help arrives or until the person starts breathing normally again on their own (which can take up to 20 minutes).
  • If your patient isn’t breathing, you can also give compressions to their chest by placing two fingers on top of each other at the center of their breastbone. Then push down about two inches every five seconds until help arrives or they start breathing again.
  • Keep going even if you lose count; just keep track mentally and remember that 100 compressions equal about two minutes of CPR.

Important considerations

Here are some important considerations when issuing rescue breaths:

  • If no one else is around to provide assistance, call 911 immediately after administering compressions and rescue breaths.
  • Try not to panic during any part of these procedures—if possible, try practising with a friend beforehand so that you know what to expect when it comes time for real-life use.

You should give 30 chest compressions for every two rescue breaths, according to American Heart Association guidelines.

Continue giving about three cycles of rescue breaths and compressions (each time you breathe in and out counts as one cycle) before checking if they respond by coughing or gasping for air on their own. It could take up to 10 minutes before they regain consciousness.

How to open the airway

If you’re watching someone who is not breathing or is having trouble breathing, your first step should be to open the airway. You can do that by kneeling down next to them and gently tilting their head back.

If they’re conscious and able, ask them to help you out by tilting their head back themselves.

Place one hand on top of their forehead and use your other hand to tilt their chin upwards—this will also open up their airway a bit more.

Some people may have a hard time doing it themselves due to physical limitations or a medical condition—in that case, let them know it’s okay for them to relax while you do it for them.

What are the benefits of giving rescue breaths?

The main benefit of giving rescue breaths is that it could keep someone alive for just a little bit longer, and potentially buy more time for medical personnel to arrive.

But it’s important not to give rescue breaths if someone doesn’t need them. In addition, in cases where a person needs to be resuscitated because of respiratory distress, such as choking or drowning, rescue breathing should never be used.

Remember—rescue breathing is only meant for victims who have stopped breathing entirely. For example, an elderly person with respiratory failure or asthma might need help with their breathing but wouldn’t require any chest compressions.

If you don’t know what type of emergency you are dealing with, always default to performing chest compressions. This will ensure your loved one gets all of the blood flow they need to survive until paramedics can get there.

If you aren’t sure what to do when faced with an emergency situation, consider taking courses on first aid and CPR certification. It will take some time out of your day, but it will be worth it if you ever find yourself needing these skills in real life!

FAQs About Rescue Breathing vs CPR

  1. Can I give rescue breaths if I have Asthma?

It’s important that you know if your asthma is severe and how to tell if you’re at risk of an attack, but don’t let your asthma affect whether or not you perform mouth-to-mouth on a patient.

The American Heart Association says people with bronchial asthma, mild or exercise-induced bronchospasm or frequent wheezing should take extra care while performing rescue breathing—but they shouldn’t be afraid of doing it altogether.

If rescue breathing is too much for someone with these conditions, then mouth-to-nose resuscitation can work just as well.

  1. When should I give CPR instead of Rescue breaths?

To determine if it’s better to perform rescue breaths or chest compressions, look at how long a person has been without breathing. If they have been down for less than two minutes, administer rescue breaths. If more than two minutes have passed since breathing stopped, you should begin performing chest compressions.

This is because there is less oxygen in your blood when you’re not breathing. If there isn’t enough oxygen in your blood, any resuscitation efforts will be wasted on trying to get air into the lungs.

And at that point, focusing on pumping blood around the body—which is what chest compressions do—will keep more of that vital oxygen where it needs to be.

  1. Can anyone learn how to perform Rescue Breaths or CPR?

Yes.

Learning how to perform rescue breaths and/or CPR can be very important in many situations. If someone is experiencing a serious medical emergency, you could save their life by knowing how to help them breathe or perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

But these techniques are not as simple as they seem. These skills require an understanding of proper technique in order for them to be effective, and they are also physically demanding on your body.

It is often assumed that anyone can learn these life-saving techniques, but that’s not true. As with any physical skill, some people are better suited than others for learning how to perform rescue breaths and/or CPR.

Knowing what makes up good technique, and practising it until you feel confident in your abilities, will help you be a more effective rescuer when called upon.

It’s also important to remember that there are plenty of situations where someone needs medical attention after a heart attack or other medical emergency but where they don’t need mouth-to-mouth or chest compressions.

In these situations knowing how best to respond may be even more important than knowing how to do these techniques.

  1. When should you call 911?

In an emergency situation where you’re giving rescue breathing or CPR, it can be very difficult to know how long you should wait before calling 911.

There are a few different situations here—if there are no signs of life and if there are signs of life—but no matter what, knowing when (and when not) to call 911 is important. This is because calling 911 at an inappropriate time could waste valuable resources or worse.

For example, in cases where there’s still a pulse and nothing else seems amiss, calling for emergency medical services right away might lead them on a wild goose chase that could be avoided.

  1. In what order should you perform the steps in CPR?

During Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), you follow a set sequence of steps. The order is important because it helps ensure that all aspects of your life-saving efforts are as effective as possible.

There are three aspects to good CPR: chest compressions, rescue breathing and pauses between each step.

  1. What are some rescue breathing mistakes to avoid?

If you’re just administering rescue breathing, not performing chest compressions and doing it incorrectly, there is a good chance that you won’t be able to revive a person who is not breathing or has stopped breathing.

Breathing into a person’s mouth without pressing down on their chest at all can make them worse off than they were before.

You need to push down hard and fast (at least 100 times per minute) for effective chest compressions; otherwise, blood can pool in your victim’s lungs, preventing oxygen from reaching their brain.

Without oxygenated blood reaching their brain, brain cells will die within minutes. This leads to permanent brain damage and death.

To avoid making such mistakes, take a first aid course with a certified instructor. This way, you will learn how to perform rescue breaths as well as how to administer effective chest compressions when needed.

  1. Can you perform rescue breath without mouth-to-mouth contact? 

Yes; with the help of a rescue breathing mask.

While CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) involves chest compressions and rescue breathing, it does not have to involve mouth-to-mouth contact.

When you perform mouth-to-mouth respiration, also known as the kiss of life, in an attempt to save a drowning victim or someone with a respiratory ailment such as asthma, you could expose yourself to serious risk.

Most importantly, saliva may carry germs that can cause infection. It is unlikely that any amount of training can overcome a natural reluctance to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on another person when there is no airway obstruction or apparent sign of heart attack.

  1. How do rescue breaths save lives?

A rescue breath works by providing oxygen to a person who is not breathing.

It can help someone survive until they get medical attention, which will hopefully include CPR and/or the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).  When you give rescue breaths, you are basically performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

  1. What is a rescue breathing mask?

A rescue breathing mask is an easy and inexpensive way to deliver much-needed oxygen to someone who has stopped breathing or is not breathing well enough on their own.

A rescue mask consists of a soft plastic tube that you put over your nose and mouth, which allows you to breathe for another person. It also includes a one-way valve that prevents air from escaping back into your face as you exhale.

When used correctly, a rescue breathing mask can help keep carbon dioxide levels down in a patient’s body and increase blood flow to vital organs.

Rescue Breaths in Infants and Children

In infants and children, chest compressions should be performed before rescue breaths because airway obstruction is one of the leading causes of death in children.

By beginning with compression to circulate blood through their bodies, you are buying yourself time to clear any blockages or other problems that could otherwise turn a choking incident into a fatality.

If there is still no breath after giving chest compressions for about 2 minutes, give rescue breaths. You may also want to check for airway blockages by putting your ear next to their mouth or nose and listening for gurgling or rattling noises.

If these sounds are present, have someone call 911 while you administer 5 cycles of 30 chest compressions alternating with 2 rescue breaths on an infant over 1-year-old.

For a child under 1-year-old, give 5 cycles of 30 chest compressions alternating with 3 rescue breaths.

After each cycle of CPR, recheck for normal breathing and pulse until help arrives. Do not stop administering CPR until they begin breathing again on their own or medical professionals take over care.

Final Words on Rescue Breathing vs CPR

There are two critical elements to saving someone’s life when they’re suffering from cardiac arrest: Rescue breaths and CPR.

When someone has stopped breathing, rescue breaths can keep oxygen circulating through their body while you rush them to the hospital or wait for paramedics to arrive and perform chest compressions.

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is chest compressions done in a certain rhythm in order to get the blood flowing again so that the heart can continue beating and keep oxygen circulating through the body until advanced medical help arrives.