How can you tell when rescue breathing is effective?

Rescue breathing is a critical emergency intervention aimed at providing oxygen to someone who is not breathing adequately or at all. When assessing the effectiveness of rescue breathing, the most reliable indicator is that the patient resumes breathing naturally. This suggests that the breaths being administered are successfully delivering oxygen to the lungs, leading to restoration of normal respiratory function.

When a patient begins to breathe again, it indicates that the body's respiratory system is responding positively to the intervention, and oxygen exchange is occurring effectively. Recognizing this change is a key sign for rescuers, as it informs them that the efforts to restore normal breathing have been successful.

While improvements in heart rate or skin color can be indicators of recovery, they are not as direct a sign of effective rescue breathing as the resumption of breathing itself. Changes in heart rate can occur due to a variety of factors and do not necessarily signify that breathing has been restored. Similarly, although an improvement in skin color may indicate better oxygenation, it may not solely be attributed to rescue breathing. The primary goal remains to restore effective breathing, making the resumption of spontaneous breaths the definitive sign of effectiveness in this scenario.