Question

You are manually ventilating a patient using a bag valve mask (BVM). The patient is connected to a pulse oximetry and the oxygen saturation reading is 80. You do not see the chest rise. What steps can you take?

A. Do a finger sweep of the mouth to make sure it's clear.
B. Put down the ambu bag and start mouth to mouth resuscitation using a barrier device.
C. Reposition the head and make sure you have a tight seal with the mask.
D. Squeeze the bag much faster.

Answer 1

To address the situation, you should reposition the head and make sure there is a tight seal with the mask. Additionally, squeezing the bag more forcefully can help improve ventilation.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you are manually ventilating a patient using a bag valve mask (BVM) and the patient is connected to a pulse oximeter with an oxygen saturation reading of 80 and you do not see the chest rise, there are steps you can take:

1. Reposition the head and make sure you have a tight seal with the mask. Ensure that the patient's head is in the proper position to open up the airway and ensure that the mask is properly sealed to deliver the air to the patient's lungs.
2. Squeeze the bag more forcefully. Increase the amount of pressure you apply on the bag to force more air into the patient's lungs. However, be cautious not to apply excessive force that can cause harm.

By repositioning the head and ensuring a tight seal with the mask, you can optimize the delivery of air to the patient's lungs. Squeezing the bag more forcefully can help improve the ventilation.