Have you ever been in a critical situation where someone’s life was on the line? In emergencies like cardiac arrest or respiratory failure, knowing the difference between CPR and rescue breathing can be life-saving. While both CPR and rescue breathing are essential life-saving techniques but they are used in different situations based on the victim’s condition. Understanding when and how to perform CPR or rescue breathing can empower you to take immediate action when every second counts.
If you’re trained in both, you have the power to take immediate action that could save a life. This blog will explain the key differences between CPR and rescue breathing, helping you respond confidently in a crisis.
What is CPR?
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving technique used in emergencies when a person’s heart has stopped beating. Its main goal is to restore blood circulation to vital organs like the brain and heart until professional medical help arrives. According to the American Heart Association, effective CPR can double or even triple the chances of survival for individuals experiencing cardiac arrest.
CPR involves a series of rhythmic chest compressions, often combined with rescue breaths, to manually pump blood through the body. It’s commonly used in life-threatening situations such as cardiac arrest, drowning, choking, electrocution, or smoke inhalation.
Types of CPR
There are two main types of CPR highly used by bystanders or CPR-trained individuals: Hands-Only CPR and CPR with Rescue Breaths. Each method is chosen based on the situation and the rescuer’s level of training.
1. Hands-only CPR
Hands-only CPR is an important technique to save a victim by effectively performing chest compression. While providing hands-only CPR, your hand placement must be correct to give high-quality compression. Achieving high-quality CPR helps to increase the survival rate in out-of-hospital settings.
2. CPR with rescue breath
CPR with breaths is a traditional method that combines chest compression with rescue breaths. The ratio of compression is 30 chest compressions with 2 breaths. This type of CPR is recommended for healthcare professionals and trained bystanders.
What is Rescue Breathing?
Rescue breathing is a life-saving technique for manually providing oxygen to someone who has a pulse but is not breathing or is breathing abnormally. It involves delivering breaths through mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nose resuscitation, which helps provide the oxygen that the victim urgently needs.
This technique is highly used in emergencies such as drowning, drug overdose, or respiratory arrest, where the heart is still functioning but the person is unable to breathe on their own.
Types of Rescue Breathing
Rescue breathing can be performed in different ways depending on the situation, the rescuer’s training, and available equipment. The main goal is to provide oxygen to a person who has a pulse but is not breathing effectively. Here are the types:
1. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation involves the rescuer sealing their mouth over the victim’s mouth and delivering breaths until the person starts breathing on their own or professional help arrives. Each breath should make the victim’s chest rise, which indicates successful ventilation. This method is commonly used in emergencies when no protective equipment is available.
2. Mouth-to-nose resuscitation
Mouth-to-nose resuscitation is used when the victim has a mouth injury or cannot receive breaths through the mouth. In this method, the rescuer seals their mouth over the victim’s nose while keeping the mouth open to allow air to escape. This technique is especially useful in infants or small children and can be an effective alternative when mouth-to-mouth breathing isn’t possible.
3. Mouth-to-Mask resuscitation
This method involves using a CPR barrier mask placed over the victim’s mouth and nose to deliver rescue breaths. This method is considered more hygienic and safer than mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nose techniques, as it reduces direct contact and lowers the risk of disease transmission. It is used by trained responders and is an effective way to provide ventilation during CPR.
4. Bag-Valve-Mask (BVM) ventilation
Bag-Valve-Mask (BVM) ventilation is a highly effective manual technique used to assist patients who are unable to breathe on their own. It is a basic yet essential airway management method that delivers oxygen directly to the lungs using a self-inflating bag connected to a face mask. It is commonly used in an emergency or hospital setting to provide adequate oxygenation until advanced care is available.
Key difference between CPR and rescue breathing
To understand the key difference between CPR and rescue breathing, let’s take a closer look at each:
| Factor | Cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) | Rescue breathing |
| Primary goal | To plump the heart and circulate blood | To provide oxygen to the lungs |
| What it involves | It involves high-quality Chest compression ( with or without rescue breath) | Providing breath through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, mouth-to-nose resuscitation. |
| When to give | When the person has no pulse and is not breathing | When the person has a pulse but is not breathing |
| Common scenario | Cardiac arrest, sudden collapse | Drowning, overdose, and respiratory arrest |
| Users | Both trained laypersons and professionals | Primarily trained rescuers, but can be done by laypeople in emergencies |
How to give CPR to the victim?
It is very crucial to know how to perform CPR and rescue breathing during an emergency, especially when someone is unresponsive or not breathing.
Steps to perform CPR if no pulse and not breathing:
- Firstly, check the victim’s responsiveness by gently tapping or calling them, “Are you okay”?
- If they are unresponsive, immediately call 911 for emergency medical technician (EMT) help.
- Check the victim’s pulse at the neck (carotid pulse).
- If the victim has no pulse and is not breathing, then immediately start chest compression and follow a 30:2 compression ratio.
- Use an AED if it is available and wait for professional help to arrive.
- Lastly, continue the CPR cycle and wait for the healthcare professional to give advanced care.
Steps to perform rescue breaths if the victim has a pulse and is not breathing:
- Firstly, check the victim’s responsiveness.
- Call for help to save the victim from a life-threatening situation.
- Assess the breathing and pulse of the patient.
- Perform CPR if the patients have no pulse and breathing
- Perform rescue breathing if they have a pulse and are not breathing. Apply mouth-to-mouth, bag-valve mask, and mouth-to-nose resuscitation.
- If an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is available, turn it on and follow the voice prompts.
- Lastly, check the victim’s situation and continue the cycle until the professionals arrive.
Conclusion
CPR and rescue breathing are similar but not the same thing. It is very crucial to know the difference before attempting to help the victim. If you are looking for a top-tier training center to learn life-saving techniques, then trust Heart Start CPR to gain the skills.
We are an American Heart Association(AHA) authorized training center in California. We offer various life-saving skills, including BLS, ACLS, and PALS courses. Our experienced instructors provide you with hands-on practice training to boost your confidence in handling real-life emergencies. Before enrolling, you can check our students’ reviews or visit us to learn more about our classes and our environment.
