– If humans breathe in oxygen and exhale CO2, then why does mouth-to-mouth resuscitation work?

Question

– If humans breathe in oxygen and exhale CO2, then why does mouth-to-mouth resuscitation work?

In: 172

Answer 1

As others have said, we breathe out about 16% Oxygenated air. Enough to keep someone alive.

On a related note: Many authorities no longer recommend mouth to mouth resuscitation. A lot of people are afraid of performing mouth to mouth because of special boundaries, and it’s not absolutely necessary. Oxygenated blood has enough reserves to keep an (unconscious, calm) person going for a good 5 minutes before any permanent damage begins to set in, provided the blood is still pumped. Hence why many authorities nowadays only recommend doing Chest Compressions to keep the blood pumping