What is the proper ventilation rate you should use when performing rescue breathing for a child

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation consists of chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breathing to maintain circulatory flow and oxygenation. Different age groups require a different set standard for CPR ratios. For example, the rate of compression for a man with a round and larger chest may require a strong push, while for the elderly, pushing hard, fast, and deep may cause ribs to break. The compression rate for an infant is also different because it requires less effort. In terms of basic life support for children, the AHA and Emergency Cardiovascular Care guidelines continue to emphasize high-quality CPR, chest compressions of adequate rate and depth, full chest recoil with each compression, minimal interruptions, and avoidance of excessive ventilation.

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CPR Ratios for Adults
Compression to Ventilation Ratio
Rate of Compressions
Depth of Compressions
Rescue Breathing
CPR Ratios for Children
Compression to Ventilation Ratio
Rate of Compressions
Depth of Compressions
Rescue Breathing
CPR Ratios for Infants
Compression to Ventilation Ratio
Rate of Compressions
Depth of Compressions
Rescue Breathing
Learn CPR and Save a Life Today
Step 2: Open the airway
Step 3: Give rescue breaths
Frequency of breaths

Here is the latest CPR compression rate chart for Adults, children, and infants. You can download and print a copy by clicking the chart below. It includes the latest American Heart Association guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care for the depth and rate of compressions per minute, ventilations, rate of rescue breathing, and more.

CPR Ratios for Adults

High-quality CPR must meet certain metrics by the American Heart Association for improving survival from cardiac arrest. This includes providing chest compressions at the proper rate and depth. Here is the CPR ratio that you must remember when performing CPR for Adults.

Compression to Ventilation Ratio

Compression to Ventilation Ratio refers to the number of chest compressions given, followed by the number of ventilation breaths given while performing CPR. According to the American Heart Association, the correct compression to ventilation ratio for adults is 30:2. It means to provide 2 ventilation breaths after 30 compressions and maintain a steady rhythm. If there is another rescuer, the same method must be followed, except that each person can take turns performing the ventilation breaths and the compressions without pausing either.

American Heart Association guidelines also indicate that in patients with an advanced airway, one ventilation breath every six seconds should be given with continuous chest compression instead of 30 compressions and two breaths.

Rate of Compressions

This refers to the speed or rate of chest compression per minute when doing CPR. For example, a chest compression rate of 100 per minute means you can give 100 compressions in 1 minute if there's no need for you to stop to provide ventilations. Usually, a single rescuer performing 100/1 continuous chest compression will perform about 75 chest compressions per minute due to the need for ventilation breathing. You will only do chest compressions without stopping until emergency medical personnel takes over if the victim were intubated.

Depth of Compressions

Depth of compression is how far down the victim's chest is compressed with each chest compression. According to the American Heart Association guidelines, the compression depth for adults is at least 2 inches or 5 cm, with a compression rate of 100-120 per minute.

Rescue Breathing

Rescue breathing is the number of ventilation breaths that are given each minute. Each rescue breath should be given over 1 second with a sufficient tidal volume to produce chest rise. This is for victims who still have a pulse but are not breathing. The first aider can supply enough oxygen to preserve life by rescue breathing into the victim's lungs. It's important to act quickly because brain damage can occur after only 3 minutes without oxygen. In a previous study of adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, continuous chest compressions without rescue breathing did not result in significantly higher rates of survival than 30 compressions to 2 ventilations.

If an Automated External Defibrillator or AED is available, alternate 3-4 shocks with a minute of CPR. CPR should be continued until you see the patient breathing or regaining consciousness.

CPR Ratios for Children

Adults usually require CPR due to sudden cardiac arrest resulting from a heart attack, while children tend to require CPR due to respiratory issue that leads to cardiac arrest. It's essential that you know the proper CPR procedure and CPR ratio for children to be prepared when an emergency occurs.

Compression to Ventilation Ratio

According to the American Heart Association guidelines, the compression to ventilation ratio for children is 30:2, which is the same for adults. This means you need to perform 30 chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths. If there are two rescuers, the compression to ventilation ratio will be 15:2.

Rate of Compressions

The recommended compression rate for performing chest compressions for children is at least 100 to 120 compressions per minute. After 30 compressions, tilt the head, lift the chin, and give two effective breaths. Although the rate of compressions will be 100-120 a minute, the actual number delivered will be fewer because of the pauses to give breaths.

Depth of Compressions

According to the American Heart Association guidelines, the depth of chest compression ratio for children is at least one-third of the diameter of the chest, which is about 2 inches or 5cm, with a compression rate of 100-120 per minute.

Rescue Breathing

To do rescue breathing for a child, put one hand on the forehead, and push with your palm to tilt the head back. Then, take a normal breath, and blow it to the mouth of the child for 1 second. Watch to see if the child's chest rises. Aim to give 12 to 20 rescue breaths per minute for a child that isn't breathing. This is about one rescue breath every 3 to 5 seconds.

CPR Ratios for Infants

CPR is performed when an infant is unconscious, they're unresponsive, or if they're not breathing. CPR will keep the blood and oxygen moving through the infant's body with proper chest compressions and rescue breathing until more advanced training can take over.

Compression to Ventilation Ratio

The compression to ventilation ratio for an infant child is the same as the ratio for adults and children, which is 30:2. This means you need to perform 30 chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths for infants. According to the American Heart Association and ILCOR, it is permitted to perform “hands-only” CPR on adults and older children. But for infants, it’s recommended to weave in the two breaths every 30 compressions.

Rate of Compressions

Chest compressions on an infant are different than chest compressions on adults or children. Because an infant is more fragile, the chest compressions should be performed with only two fingers, at the center of the chest, just below the nipples. Rescuers need to perform continuous compressions at 100-120 per minute. Allow the chest to return to its normal position after each compression.

Depth of Compressions

Since infants are more fragile than children and adults, the compressions should be performed with only two fingers, at the center of the chest, just below the nipples. Do not compress over the xiphoid or ribs. Compression depth should be about an inch and a half deep.

Rescue Breathing

For infants, form a seal around both the mouth and nose when giving rescue breaths. Aim to provide 12 to 20 rescue breaths per minute for an infant that isn't breathing. This is about one rescue breath every 3 to 5 seconds.

Learn CPR and Save a Life Today

According to statistical analysis, out of hospital cardiac arrest affects nearly 1000 Americans each day; when including in hospital cardiac arrest, more than 500,000 adults suffer cardiac arrest each year in the United States. For cardiac emergencies, it's important for first aiders to do CPR as soon as possible to increase the chance of survival while waiting for the emergency medical services team.

Basic Life Support providers performing successful resuscitation contribute to the survival rates from hospital cardiac arrest. If most people know how to perform CPR and use an AED, we could decrease the number of deaths from sudden cardiac emergencies. At CPR Select, we want to help save lives by teaching you CPR skills based on American Heart Association guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. You can save a life by learning how to do rescue breathing or CPR quickly and easily through one of our online classes.

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Rescue breathing is a type of first aid that’s given to people who have stopped breathing. During rescue breathing, you blow air into a person’s mouth to supply them with vital oxygen.

Rescue breathing can be done alone or as a part of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The technique used can vary based on whether it’s being performed on an adult or a child.

In this article, we’ll discuss the rescue breathing technique in more detail, when it’s needed, and how it differs from CPR.

Oxygen is essential for life. When you breathe, oxygen enters your bloodstream through tiny air sacs in your lungs called alveoli. Once in your bloodstream, oxygen can travel to every part of your body.

Rescue breathing is a first aid technique that’s done when someone has stopped breathing (also known as respiratory arrest). Rescue breathing is also referred to as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Situations that may cause breathing to stop can include the following:

When you perform rescue breathing, you gently blow air into a person’s mouth. This helps supply them with vital oxygen until medical help arrives.

Rescue breaths can be given alone or as a part of CPR. Because of this, you may be wondering how the two are different.

Rescue breaths can be given alone when a person has a pulse but isn’t breathing. CPR is done when a person’s heartbeat and breathing have stopped. CPR involves cycles of chest compressions and rescue breathing.

It’s not uncommon for cardiac arrest (stopping of the heartbeat) to happen shortly after respiratory arrest. Because of this, you may find that giving CPR is more common in an emergency situation as opposed to giving rescue breaths alone.

There are some instances where rescue breathing isn’t recommended. This is most applicable when rescue breathing is given as a part of CPR.

The American Heart Association (AHA) updated their CPR guidelines in 2010. In these new guidelines, the AHA recommends:

People without CPR training give hands-only CPR. This is CPR that uses only chest compressions without rescue breaths. In this situation, you’d give quick, uninterrupted chest compressions until help arrives.
Chest compressions come before rescue breathing. You may have heard of the ABCs of first aid, which stands for airway, breathing, and compressions. This acronym has now been updated to CAB (compressions, airway, breathing), with chest compressions ahead of breathing.

These changes came about because the process of opening the airway and effectively giving rescue breaths can take up vital time. Under the new guidelines, promptly starting chest compressions can help pump still-oxygenated blood to the body’s tissues.

Research supports these changes. For example, a 2017 review found that, when CPR is given by a bystander, just giving chest compressions increased survival compared to CPR that involved both chest compressions and rescue breathing.

If you encounter someone who is unresponsive and isn’t breathing, call 911. If you’re in a group, ask another person to call while you proceed to the next step.

Important notes: In a situation where someone has a pulse but isn’t breathing, it’s important to be aware of the following:

Someone who isn’t breathing or isn’t breathing well may make occasional gasping sounds. This isn’t the same thing as normal breathing.
Respiratory arrest can sometimes happen before cardiac arrest. If at any point you notice that the person’s pulse has stopped, begin CPR immediately.

Step 2: Open the airway

To effectively give rescue breaths, it’s essential that the person’s airway is open and clear. To open a person’s airway, do the following:

Place your hand on their forehead.
Gently tilt their head back.
Use the fingers of your other hand to carefully lift their chin upward.

Step 3: Give rescue breaths

Now that the airway is open, you can proceed to give rescue breaths. To do this:

Use the fingers of one hand to pinch the person’s nostrils shut. This helps to prevent air from escaping through their nose.
Cover their mouth with yours, forming a seal so that air doesn’t escape.
Give rescue breaths by gently breathing into their mouth. A rescue breath should last about 1 second. Aim to give a rescue breath every 5 to 6 seconds. This is about 10 to 12 breaths per minute.
Check to see if the person’s chest rises as you give the first rescue breath. If it doesn’t, repeat step 2 (open the airway) before giving additional rescue breaths.
Continue giving rescue breaths until emergency medical services (EMS) arrives or the person begins breathing normally on their own.

Important note: It’s also possible to give rescue breaths mouth-to-nose. This is an option when a person’s mouth is too injured to effectively give rescue breaths using a mouth-to-mouth technique.

The steps for rescue breathing on a child or infant are similar to those for adults. However, there are some important things to be aware of.

Technique

The technique used for rescue breaths can depend on the size of the child:

Infants and small children. Form a seal around both the mouth and nose when giving rescue breaths. If it’s difficult to form a good seal this way, try a mouth-to-nose or mouth-to-mouth technique instead.
Older children. Use the mouth-to-mouth technique.

Frequency of breaths

The number of breaths given per minute is slightly higher for children and infants than for adults.

Aim to give 12 to 20 rescue breaths per minute for a child or infant that isn’t breathing. This is about 1 rescue breath every 3 to 5 seconds.

If you’d like to be trained in CPR and rescue breathing, consider checking out classes offered by the American Red Cross or American Heart Association.

Local resources like schools and fire departments may have classes as well.

Rescue breathing is a type of first aid that’s used if someone has stopped breathing. During rescue breathing, you gently breathe into a person’s mouth every few seconds. This helps provide them with oxygen until help arrives. Rescue breathing isn’t the same as CPR.

CPR is done when a person isn’t breathing and doesn’t have a pulse. It involves cycles of chest compressions and rescue breathing. However, it’s recommended that individuals that aren’t trained in CPR only give chest compressions, without rescue breathing, if someone doesn’t have a heartbeat.

Last medically reviewed on November 9, 2020