RESUSCITATOR BAG/BAG-VALVE-MASK VENTILATION

• Bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation is an essential emergency skill. This basic airway management
technique allows for oxygenation and ventilation of patients until a more definitive airway can
be established and in cases where endotracheal intubation or other definitive control of the
airway is not possible.

• In the pediatric population, BVM may be the best option for prehospital airway support. BVM
ventilation is also appropriate for elective ventilation in the operating room (OR) when
intubation is not required, but it is now often replaced in this setting by the laryngeal mask
airway.