If an adult is breathing at a rate of 6 beats per minute, what should you do?

When an adult is breathing at a rate of 6 breaths per minute, this is significantly below the normal respiratory rate, which generally ranges from 12 to 20 breaths per minute for adults. A respiratory rate that low indicates the patient is likely experiencing respiratory failure or severe hypoventilation, which can lead to inadequate oxygenation and an increased risk of respiratory arrest.

In this situation, the most appropriate action is to provide positive pressure ventilation using a bag-valve mask. This method allows you to assist the patient’s breathing by delivering oxygen directly into the lungs, effectively improving ventilation and oxygenation. Proper ventilation can help restore the normal breathing rate and prevent further complications associated with inadequate breathing.

Administering oxygen therapy alone may not adequately resolve the underlying issue of inadequate ventilation, which is critical in this scenario. Similarly, performing abdominal thrusts is designed to assist a choking patient and would not be applicable if the primary issue is low respiratory rate rather than an obstructed airway. Starting chest compressions is reserved for patients who are unresponsive or in cardiac arrest, which is not indicated merely by a low breathing rate. Thus, using a bag-valve mask to ventilate the patient is the most clinically appropriate response to a dangerously low respiratory rate.