Ambulances rush to emergencies every hour of every day.
Yet every hour of every day, someone dies from some form of suffocation.
Drowning, choking, electric shock, or gas asphyxiation.
More than one death by suffocation every hour.
Thirty every day.
Eleven thousand every year in the United States alone.
But many victims of suffocation need not die.
Because they can be saved by rescue breathing.
This tragedy should not have happened.
Any one of these neighbors could have saved the life of this victim of suffocation.
How about you? Suppose someone in your family suffocated, became unconscious, and stopped breathing.
What would you do? Could you bring her back to life? You.
I mean you.
Who? Me? Yes, you.
What could you do to save her? Why, I'd try artificial respiration.
You know, the arm lift method.
But that's not always reliable.
Oh yeah? Show me something better.
All right.
To show you why rescue breathing is by far the best method to save lives, let's go to Buffalo, New York, to the Roswell Park Institute, one of the hospitals in which the techniques of rescue breathing were developed.
The result of research work done here and in Baltimore, Maryland, for the United States Army.
Doctor.
Yes? Would you have your staff reenact the lab research which proved the superiority of rescue breathing? Of course.
Here in this recovery room is an unconscious patient.
She can breathe now because the doctor is pulling up on her jaw to keep her from swallowing her tongue.
But when the jaw is released, her tongue drops and blocks her air passage.
She could die in a few minutes.
In the hospital, we often insert an airway, a curved tube which holds the tongue away from the air passage and allows the patient to breathe freely without blockage by the tongue.
Here in simplified animation is a view inside the head and throat of such an unconscious person.
You notice how the air flows freely through the curved tube airway, down the air passage into the lungs, and back out again.
The airway wouldn't be available to the average person in an emergency.
Also, he would not be trained in its proper insertion.
So let's remove the airway.
Immediately, the tongue flops back and blocks the air passage.
No air can get through.
Breathing is impossible.
No matter how hard you press on the chest or how much you lift the arms, air still cannot get past the tongue, which is blocking the air passage to the lungs.
The first step to relieve this condition is to tilt the head back.
This eases the angle of movement for the air flow.
Now, to bring the tongue forward, it's only necessary to move the jaw forward.
Because the tongue is connected to the jaw, it moves with it.
The simplest and surest way to move the tongue forward is to hook your thumb over the teeth at the corner of the mouth.
Then grasp the jaw firmly between fingers and thumb and pull the jaw forward.
The air passage is wide open for air to move into and out of the lungs, as it must in breathing.
You can also move the tongue clear of the air passage by pushing forward here on both sides of the jaw.
This variation is particularly recommended for reviving babies.
Because a baby's mouth is small, your thumb could block it.
You must also use this procedure for adults when their jaw muscles are so rigid that you're unable to hook your thumb over the teeth.
Just push forward at the angle of the jaw bone on both sides.
At all times, the head must be tilted back and the jaw moved forward to open the air passage.
Now you can get air into the lungs.
How? Breathe it in.
Your mouth will cover the mouth and nose of an infant so that air can be breathed into both at the same time.
Your mouth can make a complete seal around an adult's mouth, even though your thumb is in the corner holding the jaw forward.
Now you must pinch the nostrils to prevent leakage of air through them.
A victim whose jaws are rigid can receive air through his nostrils while you seal his lips with your fingers.
How can you breathe air into a person? Simply by breathing it in, as this doctor is demonstrating.
Remember, a victim may have stopped breathing, but you haven't.
You have breath to spare.
You can use it to save a life.
Isn't that what the docs do for some babies? What's new about that? New? Well, it isn't new at all.
It's the oldest method in the world.
Even the Bible mentions it in 2 Kings, Chapter 4, Verse 34, which tells how Elisha placed his mouth upon the mouth of the unconscious boy and blew the breath of life back into him.
Now we know it's the easiest and safest method if it's practiced properly.
Come into the lab for a demonstration of more research.
Here's another unconscious person.
He's a physician volunteer who has been temporarily paralyzed with curare and cannot open his airway or breathe for himself.
He's now receiving air by mask.
The doctor is breathing for him by squeezing this rubber bag.
Notice the enlarged indicator.
See it? Uh -huh.
Well, that indicator is actually on this testing device called an oximeter.
It measures the exact amount of oxygen in a person's blood at any given moment.
It does this by means of an attachment connected directly to the patient's ear.
He needs oxygen to stay alive and is receiving an excellent supply from the fresh air being forced into his lungs through the mask with each squeeze.
Now the doctor will stop breathing for him so that the volunteer receives no air.
Watch the indicator.
As the volunteer's need for oxygen increases, the indicator goes down, down, down.
We'd better bring up the oxygen content by breathing for him again with the bag and mask.
The oxygen content in the volunteer's blood will soon return to a safe level.
Remember, he can't breathe for himself.
When the doctor stops giving him air, a rescuer will demonstrate the arm lift method of resuscitation.
Watch the oxygen indicator.
No change.
Hey, wait.
It's going down.
Well, that means he's getting no air into his lungs, no oxygen into his blood.
I can see it on the indicator.
That arm lift method isn't working at all.
Right.
Now he's got to get oxygen fast.
Let's breathe air into him again.
We'll turn him over on his back to prepare him for rescue breathing.
Again, the doctor has stopped breathing for him.
Again, he's getting no oxygen.
Well, now let's see how much oxygen he gets from mouth to mouth rescue breathing.
You mean put my mouth on a stranger's? Germs.
Don't worry about germs when a life is at stake.
Someone may be suffocating to death, and you could save him with your breath.
Watch the indicator, and you'll see how effective the rescue breathing method is.
He's getting oxygen.
But isn't it bad air, carbon dioxide or something? If you breathe deeply, his carbon dioxide level will be normal.
But most important, he will be getting even more oxygen than he needs, and this could save his life.
Where does all this oxygen come from? From you, the rescuer.
You must inhale twice as deeply as normal.
Then even in your exhaled breath, there will be oxygen to spare.
Oxygen you can share with the victim who is receiving rescue breathing.
Oh, so the rescuer has to breathe for two.
I get it.
What else do I have to know? Just a few simple but important rules.
First, tilt the head back to ease the angle of air movement.
To bring the tongue forward and open the air passage, insert your thumb into the side of the mouth and lift the jaw.
Now pinch the nostrils to prevent air leakage.
Seal the victim's mouth completely with your mouth and breathe into him until you see his chest rise.
When you remove your mouth for your next deep breath, listen to the victim's air as it escapes.
If you hear gurgling or snoring sounds, the tongue may have dropped down.
Re -adjust your support on the jaw to correct this.
Then continue rescue breathing until the victim can breathe alone.
Thank you, doctor.
Let's leave the laboratory and see some reenactments of common accidents which can cause suffocation.
Here's a drowning.
With rescue breathing, you don't have to wait until you bring the victim ashore.
You can begin reviving him immediately.
Your first breath into him may force water up from his stomach.
If so, clear the mouth quickly and resume rescue breathing.
If something is still lodged in the throat, you'll find it difficult to get air in, so clear the mouth again.
Suppose there's water in his lungs.
There's nothing you can do about that, but you can get it out of his stomach.
Press on it gently.
Keep the head low while the water drains out.
Then continue rescue breathing.
How can you be sure rescue breathing is necessary? If he seems to be unconscious, has stopped breathing, always start to breathe for him.
If he doesn't need help to breathe, you can't hurt him by giving him extra air.
But if he does, you can save his life.
To help open the air passage, tilt the head back.
To keep the tongue out of the way, the jaw should be lifted up.
Be sure the nostrils are pinched together to prevent air leakage.
Watch the chest.
It should rise with each breath.
You're breathing for two people, so inhale deeply before you rescue breathe.
How many breaths does he need? You may have to keep going for hours, but often 10 to 15 breaths may be enough.
Only 10 to 15 breaths? Yes.
If he wasn't underwater too long, that's all it may take to bring the half -dead back to life.
Here's a reenactment of another frequent cause of suffocation.
Carbon monoxide from an automobile exhaust.
If there's someone around to run for help, fine.
But remember, every second counts.
And it even takes time to get him out into fresh air, which is the first thing you must do.
Then you must try to get fresh air into his lungs immediately.
He looks blue.
Carbon monoxide sometimes causes a cherry red color.
This boy is cyanotic blue because of a shortage of oxygen in his blood.
His rescuer is trying to supply it with the arm lift method.
But if the victim's tongue is blocking his throat, the arm lift method just won't work.
If the rescuer's hands are busy lifting the arms and squeezing the chest, how can he keep the air passage open? Not unless he's got four hands he can't.
Looks like the doc's too late, huh? Not necessarily.
Rescue breathing has revived many victims even after other methods failed.
The doctor knows this and begins rescue breathing immediately.
Note how the head is tilted back.
The nostrils are pinched.
The jaw is pulled up.
And the doctor's mouth forms a complete seal for every breath.
The doctor watches the chest rise.
A sure sign that rescue breathing is getting oxygen into the victim's lungs.
If there is a spark of life left, rescue breathing will give the best chances of success.
When success comes, it will be dramatically visible.
The skin will turn a glowing pink.
And another life will have been saved.
An electric current, an electric appliance, and a puddle of water can result in an electric shock.
Even though the electric contact is broken, unconsciousness and asphyxiation may follow almost immediately.
Because electric shock can paralyze the breathing center of the brain, the fingernails may turn cyanotic blue.
The lack of oxygen may also show in the blue lips, mouth, and tongue.
Begin rescue breathing immediately.
Some of the air you blow into the victim's mouth may enter the stomach, which will bulge.
Remove this extra air with gentle pressure while you continue rescue breathing.
How long should a breath be? Long enough to see the chest rise, and no longer.
How many times a minute? Twelve times is fast enough for an adult.
You can go as high as 20 times a minute if you wish.
But if you're not accustomed to deep breathing, it can make you feel lightheaded or dizzy.
Just slow down a little, and you'll feel all right.
How can you tell if you're really saving him? You'll be able to see the normal color return, especially to the fingernails, lips, and tongue.
And he'll start breathing for himself.
A balloon can be fun to a child.
It can also be a hazard.
A means of suffocation.
When a foreign object becomes lodged in the throat, the cause of suffocation may not be immediately apparent to the rescuer.
How can she tell if it's there? It will be difficult to get air in with a first breath.
Try to clear the throat at once.
When the air passage is free, it will be easier to get air in.
Even a youngster can follow the few simple rescue breathing procedures of tilting the head back, pulling up the jaw, pinching the nostrils, watching the chest rise, and she can follow them successfully.
Sometimes breathing stops because of an overdose of certain medicines.
How come? The chest muscles become weak, and as the brain centers are drugged, breathing stops.
Serious brain damage and even death can result.
In such an emergency, unconsciousness and cyanosis are sure signs that rescue breathing is desperately needed.
See how the head is kept in the correct position.
Even while the rescuer inhales his next breath, he continues to hold the jaw up.
This prevents the tongue from blocking the air passage and keeps the throat open so that the air in the victim's lungs can escape freely.
It may not take long for a helper to ready the mechanical oxygen equipment, but in the meantime, mouth -to -mouth rescue breathing has kept her alive.
The flush pink brightening her skin is proof of that.
Certain types of violent injuries may cause unconsciousness and prevent breathing.
Rescue breathing must be given immediately where the victim lies.
The procedure remains the same, even with this type of chest injury.
Tilt the head back, pull up on the jaw, pinch the nostrils, take deep breaths, and breathe for him until he is revived.
But will he be able to continue breathing if his chest is badly hurt? Perhaps not.
But you can keep him alive by maintenance breathing, by continuing rescue breathing, timing each breath with his effort to breathe until medical help becomes available.
The basic essentials of the rescue breathing technique are easy to learn and easy to remember.
First, tilt the head back.
Then, lift the jaw forward.
Next, pinch the nostrils.
Now seal your mouth around the victims.
And begin rescue breathing.
Right.
Rescue breathing is the best method.
And it's always available to those who care enough to share the breath of life.
