Lund, Sweden
info@lucem.info

Bag-Valve-Mask

Clarity in Emergency Medicine

VENTILATION WITH BAG-VALVE-MASK

  • Indicated in the patient with decreased ventilation.

  • Caution is recommended in the setting of severe facial or eye trauma, foreign material (e.g. gastric content) in the airway. There are no absolute contraindications.

 

  1. Prior

  • Choose a mask of the correct size (cover the patient’s nose and mouth but not the eyes)

  • Chose a bag of the correct size

  • Head in neutral or sniffing position, dentures (if any) left in place

  1. Procedure

  • Apply the mask to the face covering nose and mouth (one or two hand technique)

  • Lift the mandible using one hand (C-E clamp technique) or two hands

  • Ventilate using appropriate tidal volume, pressure and rate

  1. Post

  • Assess chest movements

  • Assess for air leak around the mask

  • Assess vital signs (e.g. SpO2%)

  • Assess for gastric insufflation, consider nasogastric tube