As a medical professional with expertise in emergency medicine, I can tell you that the duration a person can survive without oxygen, known as anoxic time, varies greatly depending on the individual's health, age, and the specific circumstances. However, there are some general guidelines that can be applied. When a person is not breathing, the brain is particularly vulnerable to the effects of oxygen deprivation. Permanent brain damage can begin to occur after only 4 minutes without oxygen. This is a critical threshold, after which the risk of severe and irreversible harm escalates rapidly. If oxygen deprivation continues, **death can occur as soon as 4 to 6 minutes later**. It's important to note that these timeframes are approximate and can be influenced by factors such as the person's level of physical fitness, the presence of any underlying health conditions, and the degree of the oxygen deprivation. It's crucial to act quickly in situations where someone is not breathing to minimize the duration of oxygen deprivation and prevent permanent brain damage or death. read more >>

Time is very important when an unconscious person is not breathing. Permanent brain damage begins after only 4 minutes without oxygen, and death can occur as soon as 4 to 6 minutes later.read more >>