How can you tell if rescue breaths are effective?

Determining the effectiveness of rescue breaths is crucial during CPR, and one key indicator is whether the chest visibly rises. When rescue breaths are effective, air enters the lungs, causing the chest to expand. This visible rise illustrates that the air is reaching the lungs rather than being expelled into the stomach or the surrounding atmosphere.

When looking for signs of effective rescue breaths, the sight of the chest rising is a clear and immediate visual cue. It confirms that the breaths are not only being delivered but are also being received by the respiratory system as intended.

The other indicators, such as skin color changing to pink or a person starting to cough, might suggest some level of oxygenation or return of consciousness, but they are secondary and not immediate performance indicators like chest rise is during the rescue breathing process. Notably, if the chest does not rise, it indicates that the breath is ineffective, signaling the need to reassess the technique being used.