Study objective
Bag-valve-mask ventilation remains an essential component of airway management. Rescuers continue to use both traditional 1- or 2-handed mask-face sealing techniques, as well as a newer modified 2-handed technique. We compare the efficacy of 1-handed, 2-handed, and modified 2-handed bag-valve-mask technique.
Methods
In this prospective, crossover study, health care providers performed 1-handed, 2-handed, and modified 2-handed bag-valve-mask ventilation on a standardized ventilation model. Subjects performed each technique for 5 minutes, with 3 minutes’ rest between techniques. The primary outcome was expired tidal volume, defined as percentage of total possible expired tidal volume during a 5-minute bout. A specialized inline monitor measured expired tidal volume. We compared 2-handed versus modified 2-handed and 2-handed versus 1-handed techniques.
Results
We enrolled 52 subjects: 28 (54%) men, 32 (62%) with greater than or equal to 5 actual emergency bag-valve-mask situations. Median expired tidal volume percentage for 1-handed technique was 31% (95% confidence interval [CI] 17% to 51%); for 2-handed technique, 85% (95% CI 78% to 91%); and for modified 2-handed technique, 85% (95% CI 82% to 90%). Both 2-handed (median difference 47%; 95% CI 34% to 62%) and modified 2-handed technique (median difference 56%; 95% CI 29% to 65%) resulted in significantly higher median expired tidal volume percentages compared with 1-handed technique. The median expired tidal volume percentages between 2-handed and modified 2-handed techniques did not significantly differ from each other (median difference 0; 95% CI −2% to 2%).
Conclusion
In a simulated model, both 2-handed mask-face sealing techniques resulted in higher ventilatory tidal volumes than 1-handed technique. Tidal volumes from 2-handed and modified 2-handed techniques did not differ. Rescuers should perform bag-valve-mask ventilation with 2-handed techniques.
Based on previous clinical [3,4], manikin [1] trials and meta-analysis [2], we hypothesized that Airtraq and Truview Laryngoscope would perform better for airway management of surgical patients with normal airway data. The present study was planned to evaluate the usefulness of Airtraq and Truview by experienced users in patients with low risk of difficult airway.
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