what good does breathing into a bag do?

[ivylass]

I knew there had to be a logical reason, but no one could really explain it to me when I took Red Cross training (the instructor kept stepping out of class for cigarette breaks.)

[St.Urho]

@ivylass

Can I ask a related question relating to mouth to mouth resuscitation? I always wondered, if someone is not breathing, how breathing carbon dioxide into them via mouth to mouth was helping. Wouldn’t they need oxygen? Or are you just trying to keep their lungs inflated?

Expired air contains 16% oxygen (versus 21% for atmospheric air) From Emergency Care & Transportation of the Sick & Injured

I’d also like to add that the new American Heart Association CPR guidelines no longer recommend rescue breathing during CPR by lay rescuers. It’s much more important to have good, uninterrupted compressions.

@American Heart Association

Lay rescuers will not be taught to provide rescue breathing without chest compressions.

St. Urho
Paramedic

[Mangosteen]

So how does the bag help with hick ups?

[hotcoldhot]

My brother used to have panic attacks and he’d overbreathe, he found he could do simply cup his hands over his mouth and get the same effect as a paper bag, or simply shut his mouth tight. He found it nearly impossible to over breathe through his nose.

Just in case you don’t have access to a paper bag.