Final answer:
In respiratory arrest, BVM is used to provide ventilation to patients who are not breathing adequately, potentially saving lives by forcing air into the lungs until heart and respiration may return to normal. For infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome, ventilators and pulmonary surfactant therapy significantly improve survival rates.
Step-by-step explanation:
When faced with respiratory arrest, BVM (Bag Valve Mask) is a hand-held device used to provide positive pressure ventilation to a patient who is not breathing or not breathing adequately. In the event of respiratory arrest, the use of BVM can help to reinflate the lungs and circulate oxygen in the absence of spontaneous breathing, effectively serving as an important intervention to ensure the patient receives adequate ventilation. The BVM allows air to be manually forced into the patient’s lungs, which can potentially save their life in emergency situations such as cardiac arrest, where the heart stops pumping blood. The heart and respiration often return to normal following the shock treatment like defibrillation that is sometimes used in conjunction with ventilation support.
In cases of newborns with Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), medical advances like the use of ventilators and pulmonary surfactant therapy have greatly improved survival rates. This aforementioned therapy reduces the incidents of death due to RDS by 50 percent and can include additional supportive measures such as temperature regulation, nutritional support, and antibiotics if the infants require them.