# Practicing Rescue Breathing on Another Person



## Rod Smith (Apr 17, 2015)

My daughter works as a lifeguard in our local school district.  The pool director requires the lifeguards to practice rescue breaths on each other monthly.  All the kids are uncomfortable with this, as am I.  We've explained our position to the director and she responded that refusing to do this could cause my daughter to be fired.  Does anyone have any information explaining the reasons NOT to force air into the lungs of a conscious person?  I can't seem to find any guidelines online.


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## mfd229 (Apr 17, 2015)

Are they using barrier devices or mouth to mouth? Still, I wouldn't allow it. But maybe you could go the route of it not being standard practice anymore depending on their technique.


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## Rod Smith (Apr 17, 2015)

They are using the barrier device.  I contacted the Red Cross and they said, "Absolutely not!"


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## Flying (Apr 17, 2015)

Why does the act of practicing rescue breaths need a live person at all? Are we actually afraid that the lifeguards are going to hesitate from ventilating someone because they haven't practiced on the real thing?
CPR classes don't require a live model for practice.

There are no guidelines for common sense.


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## Ewok Jerky (Apr 17, 2015)

Sounds like an OSHA violation to me.  I do not want someone else's nasty lung/mouth funk going into MY lungs.  If given the ultimatum I would make them fire me and then walk over to the local DAs office and stop by the local paper on the way.


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## Gurby (Apr 17, 2015)

There's nothing wrong with forcing air into a conscious person's lungs, as long as you're careful - we do it all the time.  The only issue I would have is, as above, someone else's nasty lung/mouth funk going into my mouth/lungs.


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## Ewok Jerky (Apr 17, 2015)

Aren't there laws about subjecting someone to medical treatment without consent? I wonder if that applies here. And also, are we talking about minors here?


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## Rod Smith (Apr 17, 2015)

Flying said:


> Why does the act of practicing rescue breaths need a live person at all? Are we actually afraid that the lifeguards are going to hesitate from ventilating someone because they haven't practiced on the real thing?
> CPR classes don't require a live model for practice.
> 
> There are no guidelines for common sense.



I feel odd even posting this question as it seems so illogical and unsanitary to do this.  Of course, the pool director doesn't take part in the "receiving of air" herself.  When I took the class, we even swapped out lungs between partners on the doll.  Doesn't the rescue doll force you to properly position the head, whereas if the person is conscious, the airway will be clear because you are controlling your tongue & throat?


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## Rod Smith (Apr 17, 2015)

Ewok Jerky said:


> Aren't there laws about subjecting someone to medical treatment without consent? I wonder if that applies here. And also, are we talking about minors here?


Yes.  Minors who aren't comfortable speaking up.  My daughter tells me that when they do this, they all "fake it" because they think it's gross.  The person on her back inhales while the other one pretends to blow and doesn't seal to the mask.  So, they aren't learning anything anyway.


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## samiam (Apr 17, 2015)

This is definitely not standard practice and NOT ok, I have been a certified lifeguard for 10 years and have NEVER actually done forced breathing on another human for practice. Its always with dummies and if not, we just say "breath breath". This is just un-sanitary. Do you know what certification she is receiving? Is it Red Cross. If it is, You can report the instructor to the red cross and get her certification revoked. Even with the barrier, that is not stopping all germs, just vmoit and fluids.

Here is a quote from the ellis guideline book that a lot of people are starting to adopt.

3.   Have lifeguard candidates select a partner.  Have one play the part of an unconscious (non-breathing) guest, and one the lifeguard. With the “guest” positioned on his/her back in the water, instruct the "lifeguard" to place the mask on the "guest," achieve a good seal, and “simulate rescue breathing  (DO NOT ACTUALLY ATTEMPT TO PERFORM RESCUE BREATHING. INSTEAD, BREATHE TO THE SIDE OF THE MASK). The “guest” can actually breathe normally through the resuscitation mask as long as the mask is not submerged. This skill teaches what is necessary to  keep adequate mask seal, and what it feels like to be on the receiving end of the resuscitation mask. 

My response would be, ok well I am going to talk to your principal right now and get you fired.





Gurby said:


> There's nothing wrong with forcing air into a conscious person's lungs, as long as you're careful - we do it all the time.  The only issue I would have is, as above, someone else's nasty lung/mouth funk going into my mouth/lungs.



I feel like this could be problematic in certain cases....


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## OnceAnEMT (Apr 17, 2015)

Sounds like the supervisor just wants to see something.

I've never heard of even the idea of "Hey, can I practice on you?". Hopefully you can put a stop to it.


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## Handsome Robb (Apr 17, 2015)

Might be worth telling the ARC which facility this is since ARC is generally the certifying agency for lifeguard certs. I can't remember if they have anything to do with the facilities having guards themselves but if they do I'm sure they'd put a stop to this practice rapidly.


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## samiam (Apr 17, 2015)

Grimes said:


> I've never heard of even the idea of "Hey, can I practice on you?". .



I may or may not have a vague recollection of a friend falling onto a beer bottle around a camp fire, those words being said and that friend waking up with some very crooked stitches on his rear end the next morning.


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## COmedic17 (Apr 18, 2015)

samiam said:


> I may or may not have a vague recollection of a friend falling onto a beer bottle around a camp fire, those words being said and that friend waking up with some very crooked stitches on his rear end the next morning.


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## RedAirplane (Apr 18, 2015)

The barrier protects the the rescuer from the (dead) patient, not the other way around.

If it were a two-way barrier, it would not be of much use.

I could maybe be convinced into letting someone ventilate me with a BVM. Maybe. Never mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-mask unless I'm dead and that's what you have to do.

I second the advice of the other (more experienced) forum members above.


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## DesertMedic66 (Apr 18, 2015)

With a brand new clean BVM sure, go ahead. I have let EMT students do it many times.

Using mouth to mouth or using a barrier device, nope.


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## DrParasite (Apr 18, 2015)

One of my former coworkers practiced rescue breathing on his girlfriend... without a barrier device....

she suffered no ill effects from it, but did say it was a weird experience.

that all said, I would rather not have a stranger breath into my mouth unless she was blonde, in a bikini, and considered it foreplay


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## PotatoMedic (Apr 18, 2015)

I've practiced all kinds of assessments on my wife.  (Was going to do some word play but decided against a vacation).  On anyone else no.  I won't use anything except a bvm for rescue breathing.

And yes I would say it is sexual harassesament being made to practice on another person.


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## ego (Apr 21, 2015)

Wow this is just crazy. I`ve work as a lifeguard and a lifeguard instructor and a lifeguard examiner for a few years. This is almost definitely illegal, especially with minors. Sound like the person may be doing this just for the gratification. There is no need for this at all when there is perfectly good models that they should be practicing on. If there is some sort of continuing exam if models cannot be obtained then you can do the over the ear breathe to simulate. But reading this is just absolutely not OK.


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## icetyson (Dec 2, 2022)

Hello, during nursing school my girlfriend and I practiced mouth to mouth and other rescue breath deliveries. Now we were both very comfortable with each other and fully consented. Even so it was still uncomfortable receiving the breaths. During mouth to mouth I could taste her breath (thankfully mint). While using a pocket mask she was for lack of a better term literally blowing into my face. Again her breath was fresh but I’d hate to have practiced with someone who had just eaten a burrito for lunch. 
With that being said I would and have practiced mouth to mouth with several different people who are coworkers, friends, family who consented to such practice. That’s just me though


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