How often should breaths be delivered to adults who are unresponsive and not breathing?

Breaths should be delivered to adults who are unresponsive and not breathing every 5-6 seconds. This frequency aligns with the guidelines provided by the American Heart Association (AHA) for delivering rescue breaths in a situation where the individual is experiencing a respiratory arrest.

Delivering breaths at this rate ensures that the victim receives adequate ventilation without overwhelming their lungs or causing complications such as hyperventilation. The recommended timing helps to maintain oxygenation while allowing enough time for both ventilation and the body's natural processes.

In this context, the other frequencies do not align with AHA guidelines, making them less suitable in a real emergency scenario. For instance, delivering breaths every 3-5 seconds may be too frequent, risking over-ventilation, whereas the options of every 10 seconds or once per minute would not provide sufficient breaths to adequately oxygenate the individual’s blood during critical moments when response time is essential.