bagmask

Bag-mask ventilation, commonly called bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation, is a manual resuscitation method used to provide positive-pressure ventilation to patients who are not breathing or not breathing adequately. A typical bag-mask assembly includes a self-inflating bag, a non-rebreathing valve, a facemask, and often an oxygen reservoir that can be attached to deliver higher inspired oxygen concentrations. The system is designed to function without a power source and relies on the operator to compress the bag; the one-way valve directs gas toward the patient and prevents rebreathing of exhaled gas.

The device is available in sizes appropriate for adults, children, and newborns, and masks come in various shapes to accommodate facial contours. When used with an oxygen reservoir, the delivered FiO2 can approach the highest possible with the device, depending on bag size and fit. In clinical practice, bag-mask ventilation is used during resuscitation, during anesthesia induction to maintain oxygenation, and as a bridge until definitive airway management is established.

Technique is typically performed with two hands to improve the seal and airway patency, though one-person technique is used in certain settings; proper jaw-thrust or chin-lift maneuvers assist airway opening. Clinicians monitor chest rise and breath sounds, avoiding excessive ventilation that can cause gastric insufflation or barotrauma.

Risks include gastric distention, ventilator-associated lung injury, and airway obstruction. The bag-mask is one component of the broader airway management strategy, and it is often used in combination with adjuncts such as oropharyngeal airways or laryngeal masks.