Page 238 - Health, Population and Environment Education 10

iv. Artificial Respiration
Sometimes natural breathing stops if the victim
becomes unconscious due to accidents. In such a case,
artificial breating (i.e. mouth-to-mouth breathing) is
needed to restore the victims’ breathing. A first aid
provided to the victim to restore breathing, if natural
breathing stops, is called artificial respiration. It is
also called expired air resuscitation. In the cases of
heart attack, electric shock, drowning and poisoning, Fig: 3
artificial respiration safeguards life of casualty before Artificial respiration
getting medical treatment.

Steps of Mouth to mouth Respiration
a. Victim is placed in supine position (lying on back by looking upwards)
b. Airways is opened if any obstruction is there and mouth is cleared properly.

c. The upward position of the victim is maintained. For this purpose, the head of the
victim should be pressed backward by keeping one hand on the victim’s forehead
and other at the chin.
d. Nostrils of the victim are closed with the fingers.
e. Air is blown into the victim’s lungs by placing the first aider’s mouth over the victim’s
mouth.
f. Air is blown once in every 3/4 seconds and after blowing, it is left for a while to let air
come out.
g. This process is continued until the victim regains breathing or medical treatment
becomes available.
h. After regaining breathing, the victim should be kept warm and is carried for medical
treatment as fast as possible.

v. Cardiac Massage

Sometimes heart beat of victim stops due to accidents.
In this condition, victim gets fainted and may die if
immediate treatment is not possible. Thus, the first
aider should make sure that whether heart of the
victim gets stopped. In the case of stopping, heart beat
of the victim, the first aider should provide cardiac
massage along with artificial respiration. It is essential
to provide cardiac massage to the victim within 3/4
minutes of stopping heart beat in order to revive it. Fig: 4
Generally, heart beat stops due to severe accidents,
electric shock, heart attack, etc. Thus, it is essential to provide cardiac massage to the
victim if he is unconscious, pulse is absent and heart beat is stopped.

238 GREEN Health, Population and Environment Education Book-10