Mouth-To-Mouth Rescue Breathing
There are various effective ways to give artificial respiration, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The mouth-to-mouth method is recommended as a good one to master. It can be used on victims of drowning, suffocation, and asphyxiation, too. People have been known to save lives with less exposure to the correct procedure than you are getting by reading this. So, pay attention and remember what you read.
Step 1. Turn the victim on his back. Wipe out victim's mouth quickly. Turn his head to the side. Use your fingers to get rid of mucus, food, sand, and other matter.
Head Position
Step 2. Straighten victim's head and tilt back so that chin points up. Push or pull his jaw up into jutting out position to keep his tongue from blocking air passage. This position is essential for keeping the air passage open throughout the procedure.
Push Jaw Up
Pinch Nostrils
Step 3. Take a deep breath, place your mouth tightly over victim's mouth, and pinch nostrils closed to prevent air leakage. For a baby, cover both nose and mouth tightly with your mouth. (Breathing through handkerchief or cloth placed over victim's mouth or nose will not greatly affect the exchange of air.)
Breathe
Step 4. Breathe into victim's mouth or nose until you see his chest rise. (Air may be blown through victim's teeth, even though they may be clenched.)
Step 5. Remove your mouth and listen for the sound of returning air. If there is no air exchange, recheck jaw and head position. If you still do not get air exchange, turn victim on side and slap him on back between shoulder blades to dislodge matter that may be in throat. Again, wipe his mouth to remove foreign matter.
Step 6. Repeat breathing, removing mouth each time to allow air to escape. For an adult, breathe about 12 times per minute. For a child, take relatively shallow breaths, about 20 per minute. Continue until victim breathes for himself.