How long should each ventilation last when providing rescue breaths?

When providing rescue breaths during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the recommended duration for each breath is about 1 second. This timing allows for adequate chest rise in the patient, indicating that air is being effectively delivered into the lungs. The 1-second rule ensures that the breaths are not delivered too quickly, which could lead to ineffective ventilation or risk of air entering the stomach, causing complications such as gastric inflation.

Effective rescue breaths should be administered with care to achieve a balance between providing sufficient air and avoiding excessive pressure or volume that may cause harm. Each breath should ideally create visible chest rise, indicating that the air is reaching the lungs, which is a key indicator of successful ventilations. Proper timing helps maintain a rhythm in the rescue efforts and supports the oxygen delivery to vital organs, which is critical during a cardiac arrest scenario.