15 Breathing

Normal breathing is essential to maintaining life. No breathing means no oxygen to the body which means no life. Patients who are gasping or breathing abnormally and are unresponsive require resuscitation.

Causes of ineffective breathing of acute onset.

Breathing may be absent or ineffective as a result of:

  • Direct depression or/or damage to the breathing control centre of the brain.
  • Upper airway obstruction.
  • Paralysis or impairment of the nerves and/or muscles of breathing.
  • Problems affecting the lungs.
  • Drowning.
  • Suffocation.

Assessment of breathing.

There is a high incidence of abnormal gasping after cardiac arrest. First aiders should use a combination of unresponsiveness and absent or abnormal breathing to identify the need for CPR.

The first aider should:

  • Look for movement of the upper abdomen or lower chest.
  • Listen for the escape of air from nose and mouth.
  • Feel for movement of the chest and upper abdomen.

Movement of the lower chest is unresponsive and not breathing normally after the airway has been opened and cleared, the first aider must immediately commence chest compressions and then rescue breathing. Give 30 compressions and then two breaths allowing about one second for each breath.

If first aider is unwilling or unable to perform breaths, the first aider should continue compressions only CPR.

Next Page