Final answer:
To alleviate poor compliance during BVM ventilation of an infant found in a swimming pool, the administration of pulmonary surfactant is recommended, as it reduces surface tension and aids lung inflation. If surfactant is not available, other medical interventions may be required such as chest drainage or ventilator adjustments.
Step-by-step explanation:
You are ventilating an infant patient who was found face down in a swimming pool and you notice that after achieving endotracheal intubation, the compliance on the BVM (Bag-Valve-Mask) is poor. To help alleviate the poor compliance, you should consider a number of interventions to improve lung functionality. One effective treatment could be the administration of pulmonary surfactant, which works similarly to detergent by reducing surface tension and making it easier to inflate the airways, effectively decreasing the work needed to ventilate the lungs.
Considering that the patient is an infant and given the scenario of a near-drowning event, it is particularly important to address issues with alveolar collapse or fluid in the lungs that might be hindering ventilation. The application of surfactant could greatly assist in this case by reducing the surface tension of the alveoli, helping to increase their compliance and thereby facilitating better gas exchange during artificial ventilation.
If surfactant therapy is not immediately available or if other issues are suspected such as pulmonary edema or pneumothorax, additional medical interventions such as chest drainage or adjustments to the ventilator settings to manage pressures and volumes may be necessary to improve lung compliance and oxygenation.