Prehospital Manual Ventilation: An NAEMSP Position Statement and Resource Document

Abstract

Manual ventilation using a self-inflating bag device paired with a facemask (bag-valve-mask, or BVM ventilation) or invasive airway (bag-valve-device, or BVD ventilation) is a fundamental airway management skill for all Emergency Medical Services (EMS) clinicians. Delivery of manual ventilations is challenging. Several strategies and adjunct technologies can increase the effectiveness of manual ventilation.

NAEMSP recommends:

• All EMS clinicians must be proficient in bag-valve-mask ventilation.

• BVM ventilation should be performed using a two-person technique whenever feasible.

• EMS clinicians should use available techniques and adjuncts to achieve optimal mask seal, improve airway patency, optimize delivery of the correct rate, tidal volume, and pressure during manual ventilation, and allow continual assessment of manual ventilation effectiveness.

Key words:

• bag-valve-mask
• manual ventilation
• EMS
• airway management