For an adult patient, how often should one breath be given during CPR?

During CPR for an adult patient, giving one breath approximately every 5 seconds is aligned with current guidelines. This practice ensures that the patient receives adequate oxygenation while maintaining a balance with the compressions. The recommended ratio during CPR includes 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths, and by providing a breath every 5 seconds, you're allowing sufficient time for the chest to rise and ensuring that the breaths are effective without interrupting the circulation due to lengthy pauses.

The timing helps to maintain rhythm and effectiveness in the overall CPR process while keeping oxygen levels in the blood from dropping too low, which can occur if breaths are given too infrequently.