artificial respiration

artificial respiration n the process of restoring or initiating breathing by forcing air into and out of the lungs to establish the rhythm of inspiration and expiration see BACK PRESSURE-ARM LIFT METHOD, MOUTH-TO-MOUTH

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an emergency procedure for maintaining a flow of air into and out of a patient's lungs when the natural breathing reflexes are absent or insufficient. This may occur after drowning, poisoning, etc., or during a surgical operation on the thorax or abdomen when muscle-relaxing drugs are administered. The simplest and most efficient method is mouth-to-mouth respiration (the 'kiss of life'). In hospital the breathing cycle is maintained by means of a respirator.

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any artificial method of ventilation in which air is forced into and out of the lungs of a person who has stopped breathing. It may be either mechanical (see mechanical ventilation) or done as an emergency procedure with no mechanical equipment. The most effective nonmechanical emergency technique is the mouth-to-mouth method; other less used techniques are the Holger Nielsen method, Schafer method, and Silvester method (see under method). Called also artificial or assisted ventilation.