Why don’t adults who suddenly collapse need mouth-to-mouth breathing in the first few minutes after their cardiac arrest?
A. When an adult suddenly collapses with cardiac arrest, their lungs and blood contain enough oxygen to keep vital organs healthy for the first few minutes, as long as someone provides high quality chest compressions with minimal interruption to pump blood to the heart and brain. • When an adult suddenly collapses with cardiac arrest, the cause is usually an abrupt onset of an abnormal heart rhythm. The most common abnormal rhythm causing sudden cardiac arrest is ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF causes the heart to quiver so it does not pump blood. Before a sudden collapse, the adult was probably breathing normally. At the time of a sudden collapse, the adult’s lungs and blood are likely to have a fresh supply of oxygen that can last for at least a few minutes even if breathing stops. • Consider when you hold your breath while floating in a pool. Most people can hold their breath for quite a while, as long as they are not moving. • Another reason that breaths may not be needed during
Related Questions
- If the victim has not had a respiratory or cardiac arrest but appears to have difficulty breathing, should I apply emergency oxygen?
- Why don’t adults who suddenly collapse need mouth-to-mouth breathing in the first few minutes after their cardiac arrest?
- Does a Living Will mean the person is not to be resuscitated in the event of a cardiac and / or respiratory arrest?
