Final answer:
Each rescue breath should last about one second, ensuring the chest rises, which is the standard duration for all ages. Acting quickly is critical for increasing survival chances in emergency scenarios such as drowning, where effective CPR is more likely to produce successful outcomes without lung water presence.
Step-by-step explanation:
When giving rescue breaths to victims of any age, each breath should last approximately one second, ensuring that the chest rises visibly. This is consistent across all ages because the goal is to simulate a normal breath, which provides adequate airflow to reach the lungs without causing over-inflation.
It's crucial for rescuers to act promptly to maximize recovery chances. Especially in cases such as drowning, where the absence of water in the lungs significantly increases the effectiveness of CPR. Even when a cardiac arrest has occurred, timely application of CPR can still provide a chance for recovery.
Remember that when providing rescue breaths, regardless of the victims' ages, proper technique and timing are vital. Adequate training in CPR and familiarity with practices for different scenarios, such as choking or carbon monoxide poisoning, is essential for increasing the likelihood of survival and minimizing potential damage due to oxygen deprivation.