Accuracy of bag ventilation in simulated resuscitation
Abstract
The efficacy of manual bag ventilation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is often a difficult task to undertake, however, very little is known about its accuracy.
Aims
The objective of this study was to evaluate operator delivery of ventilation rate, tidal volume and minute volume in a simulated cardiac arrest using two different capacity self-inflating bags in an undergraduate paramedic cohort.
Methods
An observational single blinded study with third year university undergraduate paramedic students using a mechanical lung model and a simulated adult cardiac arrest to assess their ventilation ability. Students ventilated using 1600 ml and 1000 ml bag for 2 minutes at a rate and tidal volume for a patient undergoing CPR with an advanced airway. Ventilation rate and tidal volume were recorded using an analogue scale with mean values calculated.
Results
Mean tidal volumes were significantly higher for the 1600 ml bag: 528.4 ml (95% CI 491.3–565.5) versus 648.7 ml (95% CI 603.7–693.7) (
Conclusion
Smaller self-inflating bags reduce the incidence of overzealous tidal volumes and produce greater guideline-consistent results for cardiac arrest patients.
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