If Inhaling Carbon Dioxide is Harmful, Why Do We Blow Into Another Person's Mouth During Mouth-To-Mouth Resuscitation?
The air we breathe is made up of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and other gases (1%). Our respiratory system has an intelligent capability to absorb the gases that are useful (Oxygen) and discard those that are not important or are harmful (Carbon-Dioxide).
Carbon dioxide kills by displacing oxygen in the air and causing suffocation. If that is the case, wouldn’t it defeat the purpose when paramedics use mouth-to-mouth as a technique for resuscitation?
CPR is done when the person is desperately short of oxygen. The person needs some form of “fresh oxygen”, quality does not matter. When we breathe out, the resulting air mix is about 16% oxygen and 5% carbon dioxide; it is not as good as the room air mix of 21% oxygen and 1% carbon dioxide but good enough to be a life saver.
Carbon dioxide kills by displacing oxygen in the air and causing suffocation. If that is the case, wouldn’t it defeat the purpose when paramedics use mouth-to-mouth as a technique for resuscitation?
CPR is done when the person is desperately short of oxygen. The person needs some form of “fresh oxygen”, quality does not matter. When we breathe out, the resulting air mix is about 16% oxygen and 5% carbon dioxide; it is not as good as the room air mix of 21% oxygen and 1% carbon dioxide but good enough to be a life saver.
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