Artificial respiration, also known as ventilatory support, involves manually or mechanically assisting or stimulating respiration in a person who is either not breathing or is breathing inadequately.
The goal is to ensure adequate exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide when the body's natural respiratory efforts fail.
Key methods include:
1. Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation:
An emergency technique where a rescuer breathes into the victim's mouth to inflate their lungs, providing them with oxygen.
The rescuer also checks for any obstruction in the airway and may use head-tilt, chin-lift maneuvers to open the airway before giving breaths.
2. Bag-Valve-Mask (BVM) Ventilation:
Involves using a hand-held device to provide positive pressure ventilation to a patient who is not breathing or is breathing inadequately.
It requires training to be used effectively, ensuring that air is directed into the lungs rather than the stomach.
3. Mechanical Ventilators:
Used in hospital settings for patients who are critically ill and unable to breathe on their own.
These machines can be set to control the volume of air delivered, the pressure limit, and the breaths per minute, tailored to the patient's needs.