[Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Maintenance of the airways and ventilation].

Oxygen is absolutely necessary for life; gaseous interchange requires the processes of ventilation, perfusion and diffusion. When these fail, we are headed directly for cardiac and/or respiratory arrest. Various techniques are recommended to provide oxygen; there are techniques to open the air tracts and mechanisms to keep these open: and there are mechanisms to facilitate and/or improve ventilation. There definitely are a wide range of means designed to achieve a good level of oxygenation in our tissues.