Final answer:
A non-breathing patient is an emergency requiring immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Remove a drowning patient from the water before starting CPR and follow the chest compression guidelines for effective resuscitation.
Step-by-step explanation:
A patient who is not breathing even after attempting to open the airway is a top priority emergency. If someone is choking, the person may clutch at their throat, showing difficulty in speaking or breathing. Such a person faces imminent danger of oxygen deprivation, which can lead to unconsciousness and potential brain damage within minutes. In the event of a patient not breathing, immediate action should be taken to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In cases of drowning, the first step is to remove the person from the water before initiating CPR. When CPR is administered, chest compressions should be performed at a depth of at least 5 cm and at a rate of 100 compressions per minute to manually pump blood through the heart to vital organs, especially the brain, while minimizing the risk of irreversible damage.