Introduction
After securing a patent airway, you must decide whether the patient needs:
- An oxygen mask for ‘Passive Ventilation’
- Assisted Ventilation
Determine the adequacy of the patients spontaneous ventilation by looking at:
- the depth of chest wall movement
- the rate of chest wall movement
- the coordination of breaths
- the oxygen saturations
- the end tidal c02 or pCO2 by arterial blood gas analysis.
If ventilation is required you will need:
- The correct size facemask (one that fits snugly from the bridge of the nose to just above the chin) (Fig 10)
- A self-inflating bag (Fig 11)
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| Fig 10: Facemask fitting snugly from the bridge of the nose to just above the chin | Fig 11: Self-inflating bag |