
Yes, you can BVM a conscious patient. But, use some commonsense and work with the patient by using verbal support for reassurance that you know what you are doing and coordinate with their breathing. If you are still unsure about this, find a good mentor to give you some additional advice for this and other possible scenarios.
How do you use a BVM on a patient?
I have used a BVM on patients who are breathing too fast for their own good, and are conscious. You keep the mask sealed to the face and bag them about 8-10 times a minute. Fun to talk them through that, but easier than waiting for them to pass out.
What is BVM ventilation for apnea?
Bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation is the standard method for rapidly providing rescue ventilation to patients with apnea or severe ventilatory failure. (See also Airway Establishment and Control, How To Do Head Tilt–Chin Lift and Jaw-Thrust Maneuvers, How To Insert an Oropharyngeal Airway, and How To Insert a Nasopharyngeal Airway.)
What does BVM stand for?
Bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation is the standard method for rapidly providing rescue ventilation to patients with apnea or severe ventilatory failure. (See also Airway Establishment and Control, How To Do Head Tilt–Chin Lift and Jaw-Thrust Maneuvers, How To Insert an Oropharyngeal Airway,...
Can NRB and BVM be used together?
Actual answer: It depends. The NRB is an oxygen delivery device only. The patient has to moving air adequately for it to be effective. The BVM is a ventilatory device. It provides assisted ventilations to a patient without an adequate minute volume or not moving air at all. "Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance."

When should I use a BVM?
1:1811:51EMT | When To Use a BVM (BVM Explained Simply for EMS) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhere you would use it maybe you have a test coming up so here we go on our breather mask a nasalMoreWhere you would use it maybe you have a test coming up so here we go on our breather mask a nasal cannula. Okay that's a tool we're going to use to give the patient more oxygen the bvm while yes it is
Can a BVM be used for oxygen therapy?
An adult BVM with oxygen supplied at a minimum of 15 liters per minute and a full reservoir can provide up to 1.5 liters of oxygen delivered per breath.
When can a bag-valve mask BVM be used?
Indications. It is indicated for hypercapnic respiratory failure, hypoxic respiratory failure, apnea, or altered mental status with the inability to protect the airway. It's usage is advocated while delivering breaths during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Can you use BVM as CPAP?
The mask connectors are standardized so your BVM will work with your CPAP mask, there is no need to remove it.
Can you ventilate a conscious patient?
If a patient becomes more conscious or a gag reflex returns while doing BVM ventilation with an oropharyngeal airway in place, remove the oropharyngeal airway and provide continued treatment as appropriate. A nasopharyngeal airway may be better tolerated.
Can you use a BVM without oxygen?
A bag valve mask can be used without being attached to an oxygen tank to provide "room air" (21% oxygen) to the patient.
When do you start bagging a patient?
Recognize the need to ventilate a patient, and do so immediately. Hypoventilation occurs when the rate of spontaneous ventilations falls below 8 per minute or when the tidal volume falls below approximately 300 cc per breath. In either case, assisted ventilations become necessary.
What respiratory rate requires BVM?
Newborn patients should be ventilated with air initially; premature newborn should be ventilated with blended air – BVM at 1 L/min as per Newborn Life Support CPG....Bag Valve Mask Ventilation.Newborn40 - 60 breaths per minute6 - 12 years20 - 25 breaths per minute> 12 years15 - 20 breaths per minuteAdult10 - 12 breaths per minute3 more rows
Why is the one person method of bag-valve mask ventilation not as effective as the two person method?
Why is the one-person method of bag-valve mask ventilation not as effective as the two-person method? It is difficult to maintain an airtight seal.
How do you give BVM to a patient?
Take Body Substance Isolation precautions. Open the airway, insert an airway adjunct, and select the appropriate size mask. While positioned at the top of the patient's head, open the airway using the head-tilt/chin-lift maneuver or the jaw-thrust maneuver. Insert the appropriate sized airway adjunct.
When may a 2 person bag mask technique be preferable?
Two-Person Bag-Mask Ventilation A 2-person technique may be more effective than ventilation by a single rescuer if the patient has significant airway obstruction, poor lung compliance, or difficulty in creating a tight mask-to-face seal.
What are the types of bag mask ventilation?
Ventilation bags (manual resuscitator) come in 2 types: self-inflating bag and flow-inflating (“anesthesia”) bag. Ventilation bags used for resuscitation should be self-inflating.
How do you connect o2 to BVM?
1:062:55EMS Skills - Bag Valve Mask Ventilation - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe oxygen reservoir bag if included. And the face mask attach. The oxygen tubing to the bag valveMoreThe oxygen reservoir bag if included. And the face mask attach. The oxygen tubing to the bag valve mask and connect the other end to the regulator on an oxygen cylinder.
What percentage of oxygen does a BVM deliver?
A typical BVM device is illustrated in Figure 3. With oxygen flow at 15 L/min, a BVM with reservoir will provide 90–95% inspired oxygen concentrations. Proper use requires training and skill on the part of the operator, including proper head position, effective mask seal, respiratory pressures, and rate.
What respiratory rate requires BVM?
Newborn patients should be ventilated with air initially; premature newborn should be ventilated with blended air – BVM at 1 L/min as per Newborn Life Support CPG....Bag Valve Mask Ventilation.Newborn40 - 60 breaths per minute6 - 12 years20 - 25 breaths per minute> 12 years15 - 20 breaths per minuteAdult10 - 12 breaths per minute3 more rows
When do you start bagging a patient?
Recognize the need to ventilate a patient, and do so immediately. Hypoventilation occurs when the rate of spontaneous ventilations falls below 8 per minute or when the tidal volume falls below approximately 300 cc per breath. In either case, assisted ventilations become necessary.
What is a BVM?
Bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation is the standard method for rapidly providing rescue ventilation to patients with apnea or severe ventilatory failure.
What airway adjuncts are used during BVM ventilation?
Unless contraindicated, airway adjuncts such as nasopharyngeal and/or oropharyngeal airways are used during BVM ventilation to assist in creating a patent airway. Positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) valves should be used if further assistance is needed for oxygenation without contraindications to its use.
What is the opposite end of a BVM mask?
The opposite end of the bag is attached to an oxygen source (100% oxygen) and usually a reservoir bag. The mask is manually held tightly against the face, and squeezing the bag ventilates the patient through the nose and mouth. Unless contraindicated, airway adjuncts such as nasopharyngeal and/or oropharyngeal airways are used during BVM ...
When to use pharyngeal airway?
Unless contraindicated, a pharyngeal airway adjunct is used when performing BVM ventilation. An oropharyngeal airway is used unless the patient has an intact gag reflex; in such cases, a nasopharyngeal airway (nasal trumpet) is used. Bilateral nasopharyngeal airways and an oropharyngeal airway are used if necessary for ventilation.
How to sniff a patient?
To achieve the sniffing position, folded towels or other materials may need to be placed under the head, ne ck, or shoulders, so that the neck is flexed on the body and the head is extended on the neck. In obese patients, many folded towels or a commercial ramp device may be needed to sufficiently elevate the shoulders and neck. In children, padding is usually needed behind the shoulders to accommodate the enlarged occiput.
How to seal a malar eminence?
Making sure not to place your hands or the mask on the patient’s eyes, first place the nasal portion of the mask over the nose high enough to cover the bridge without air leaks. Next, lower the mask over the chin and allow it to seal along the two malar eminences.
Is there a contraindication to ventilatory support?
Contraindications to BVM Ventilation. Absolute contraindications: There is no medical contraindication to providing ventilatory support to a patient; however, a legal contraindication ( do-not-resuscitate order or specific advance directive ) may be in force. Relative contraindications: None.
What is the difference between a BVM and a NRB?
The NRB is an oxygen delivery device only. The patient has to moving air adequately for it to be effective. The BVM is a ventilatory device. It provides assisted ventilations to a patient without an adequate minute volume or not moving air at all.
How much oxygen do you need for a hypoxic patient?
Most patients who are hypoxic generally only need a couple of litres of oxygen via nasal prongs or a simple mask. Non-rebreather masks with high flow rates (10l/min) are reserved for the very hypoxic; such as somebody who has acutely decompensated cardiac failure or asthma.
What is a NRB ventilator?
A NRB provides supplemental O2 to a person with sufficient ventalation, but less than adequate O2 level/exchange.#N#A BVM ventilates a patient who is not moving enough air (insufficient RR and/or shallow ventilation s).
What is a BVM in EMS?
Of all the fundamental skills employed by EMS, few are more crucial than the ability to ventilate a patient. When a patient can’t breathe, the bag-valve mask (BVM) enables rescuers operating within almost any environment or situation to deliver lifesaving oxygen to the patient’s lungs. Provided there is adequate gas exchange at ...
What airway is used for BVM?
A nasopharyngeal airway helps ensure an open airway during BVM use.
How can artificial ventilation keep a patient alive?
Provided there is adequate gas exchange at the alveolar level and adequate circulation to the tissues, artificial ventilation via the BVM in the hands of a skilled practitioner can keep a patient alive indefinitely.
Can BVM cause hypoxia?
Performed incorrectly, however, BVM ventilation can accelerate hypoxia and exacerbate the airway obstruction that naturally occurs during profoundly depressed levels of consciousness. This can result in serious injury or death.
Is BVM ventilation a two rescuer skill?
3. Not maintaining an effective seal. BVM ventilation is recognized as a two-rescuer skill. Only rescuers with exceptionally large hands can effectively maintain an open airway, displace the jaw into the mask and maintain a proper mask seal with a single hand. For most rescuers, two hands are needed on the mask to accomplish all of these tasks simultaneously
What is a BVM mask?
The bag-valve mask (BVM) is arguably one of the simplest tools we carry in our bags as EMS providers. That simplicity, however, undercuts how significant this piece of equipment can be – it is sometimes the only lifeline for a patient, but it can also cause harm if used incorrectly.
How much air does a BVM hold?
A normal adult BVM holds about 1.5 L of air – almost three times the American Heart Association’s recommended 600 mL tidal volume for an adult patient. However, one patient will very greatly from the next. The magic number we’re looking for isn’t actually a number at all; we need enough air to see adequate chest rise and fall with each ventilation, and the corresponding waveform. This is a standard we can easily apply to any patient.
What has forced EMS to reassess their approach to airway management and treatment?
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced EMS and all emergency providers to reassess our approach to airway management and treatment. This is especially true when we must care for patients with cough, fever and difficulty breathing, prior to knowing their infectious status,” noted Robert Dickson, MD, FAAEM, FACEP, FACEM, MCHD medical director. Read more about airway management adjustments in the era of COVID-19.
Can a large ventilation cause damage to the lungs?
This is a standard we can easily apply to any patient. Large and forceful ventilations can result in significant damage to the lungs. In a patient with already damaged alveoli (patients with COPD, ARDS, etc.), a healthy alveolus is the path of least resistance for the incoming air.
Can BVM save a patient's life?
The BVM and supplemental oxygen are capable of saving our patient’s life, but only if we can recognize and overcome the common errors in their use. As with much of our equipment, the BVM has the inherent ability to hurt someone as much as help them; it is up to us as providers to ensure we’re helping. About the author.
