80 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
WHAT TO DO WHEN BREATHING STOPS:
MOUTH-TO-MOUTH BREATHING
Common causes for breathing to stop are:
• something stuck in the throat
• the tongue or thick mucus blocking the throat of an unconscious person
• drowning, choking on smoke, or poisoning
• a strong blow to the head or chest
• a heart attack
A person can die within 4 minutes if he does not breathe.
If a person stops breathing,
begin mouth-to-mouth breathing IMMEDIATELY.
Do all of the following as quickly as you can:
Step 1: Quickly use a finger to remove anything stuck in
the mouth or throat.
Step 2: Quickly but gently lay the person face
up. Gently tilt his head back, and pull his jaw
forward.
Step 3: Pinch his nostrils closed with your
fingers, open his mouth wide, cover his
mouth with yours, and blow strongly into
his lungs so that his chest rises. Pause to
let the air come back out and blow again.
Repeat about once every 5 seconds. With
babies and small children, cover the nose
and mouth with your mouth and breathe
very gently about once every 3 seconds.
Continue mouth-to-mouth breathing until the person can breathe by himself, or
until there is no doubt he is dead. Sometimes you must keep trying for an hour or more.
Note: Unless there is an open sore or bleeding in the mouth, it is not possible to give or
get hepatitis or HIV from mouth-to-mouth breathing.